Despite concerns expressed by dental professionals, a Utah House committee overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday that would remove fluoride from all Utah drinking water systems.
Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, argued her bill would give citizens a choice whether they want to consume fluoride or not and would enable pharmacists to prescribe fluoride supplements.
A federal judge in California directed the Environment Protection Agency to reevaluate its recommended doses in water. That judge, Gricius said, found that fluoride can cause “neurological harm and one other thing my brain is not retaining at the moment.”
Gricius smiled and emphasized: “I’m not arguing the science behind it. I’m just looking at the legal issues.”
In Utah, only Salt Lake and Davis counties and Brigham City add fluoride to their water.
Brigham City Mayor DJ Bott told the committee the city spends $100,000 a year on fluoridation, mostly for water that ends up in people’s showers or on their lawns rather than in their bodies and that residents of his city are fairly split on whether they want fluoridation to continue.
In fact, Brigham City residents defeated Proposition 3 in December 2023, voting to keep fluoride in their water by a margin of more than two-to-one.
Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton spoke in support of Gricius’ bill, arguing that after more than 20 years of fluoridating the county’s water system, there is no compelling evidence it has yielded health benefits and the government should not be involuntarily medicating its citizens.
Last month, the council voted 5-4 to support Gricius’ bill.
Supporters of the fluoride ban outnumbered opponents by a large margin.
Elaine Oaks, a member of the South Davis Water District Board, said that fluoride strengthens teeth, but shared the sentiment of many who spoke saying it is not the government’s job to require residents to consume it and that the choice should be left to the individuals.
Rodney Thornell, president of the Utah Dental Association, said his membership unanimously endorsed keeping fluoride in water systems because “we still believe water fluoridation is the most effective way and equitable way for delivering fluoride.”
And Sarah Woolsey, a family physician, said that after Salt Lake County began fluoridating its water, she saw a dramatic decrease in children who she had to send to Primary Children’s Hospital for extractions. Voluntary fluoridation doesn’t always work, she said, and dental problems can result in secondary issues.
“I care about kids. I care about their pain,” she said. “I care about the subtle changes that happen when they don’t have the benefit of fluoride.”
The bill passed the committee on a 10-3 vote, with two Democrats and Republican Rep. Christine Watkins opposed. It now goes to the full House for consideration.
