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In the News, Winter 2024-25: Utah About to Become First State to Ban Water Fluoridation
Spencer Cox, the governor of Utah, has announced that he will sign a bill passed by the state legislature, banning the addition of fluoride to public drinking water. The law, the first of its kind in the U.S., is expected to go into effect in May.
In many states, local municipalities make the decision about whether to fluoridate their drinking water supplies, with the intent to protect against tooth decay, and the EPA has set a maximum allowable level. However, there has been controversy around the practice for years.
Critics say that high fluoride exposure has been linked to neurodevelopmental problems, and that there is no need to add it to drinking water, given its availability in toothpaste and other dental products. Utah lawmakers point to a recent court case in which a federal judge ordered the EPA to further regulate the amount of fluoride in drinking water, citing research that found exposure at twice the recommended level to be associated with lower IQs in children.
Other states in which bills to ban water fluoridation have been introduced include North Dakota, Tennessee, and Montana.
SOURCES:
Utah set to become first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water. National Public Radio, March 11, 2025. npr.org/2025/03/11/nx-s1-5323807/utah-set-to-become-first-state-to-ban-fluoride-in-public-drinking-water.
Utah to become first state to ban fluoride in public water. The Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2025. wsj.com/us-news/utah-fluoride-public-water-ban-346da342.
Published in the Journal of Health and Healing™
Winter 2024-25 | Volume 48, Number 4
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