Five notes:
1. The Utah legislature passed HB 81 in February to ban water fluoridation in the state’s public drinking water systems. While prohibiting the addition of fluoride to public water supplies, the bill allows people to visit a pharmacist for fluoride supplements to support dental health.
2. Dental professionals opposed the bill, sharing that water fluoridation is a key factor for improving children’s dental health and that requiring prescriptions places additional burdens on communities.
3. The American Dental Association also advocated against the bill, stating in a letter to the governor that the bill would “adopt public policy that is in complete opposition to the mission of the ADA.”
4. The ADA has also assisted the Utah Dental Association with asking dentists to urge the governor to veto the bill.
5. The ADHA said Feb. 28 that it “strongly opposes” the bill, adding that it would reverse decades of public health progress.