The governor confirmed that he would sign a law prohibiting it.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law prohibiting the addition of fluoride to public drinking water, saying his state would be the first in the country to do so.
In an interview aired on March 9, the Republican governor noted that half of Utah had already added fluoride to the water, and the dentist he consulted reported that he had not reported “dramatically different outcomes” in dental health between fluorinated and non-fluorinated counties.
“If we are asking government drugs to be given medicines, it must be a really expensive bar for me,” Cox told Lindsay Aert of ABC4 Utah.
The bill settled the state legislature last month with complicated, bipartisan support, with lawmakers on both sides of the measure. The discussion is primarily focused on local control, with two counties (Lake Salto and Davis) voted to make the water fluorescent.
If the law is signed, the bill will come into effect on May 7th and requires Utah’s 66 fluorinated public water systems (484 people in total) to cease the practice.
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“It’s not a bill I felt strongly about, it’s not a bill I care about that much, but it’s a bill I sign,” Cox said.
The American Dental Association is urging Cox to reject the bill, citing the benefits Fluoridation has reported on dental care and cavities prevention.
“The continued, lack of national oral hygiene depends on you that it is linked to several other chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, low birth weight, and diabetes.”
Utah may not be the last state to end fluorination. Lawmakers in Florida, Montana and Tennessee are considering similar statewide bans.
