BRAVE NEW WORLD

Utah on Track to Become First State to Ban Fluoride in Water

Donald Trump’s new health secretary has long cast doubt on the safety of fluoridated water—despite years of medical studies backing its advantages.

Utah is on track to becoming the first state to implement Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-fluoride agenda. A bill that seeks to prohibit adding fluoride to public water systems is headed to Governor Spencer Cox’s desk after it was passed by the Utah Senate on Friday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. HB0081 also proposes allowing pharmacists to prescribe fluoride. Republican Rep. Stephanie Gricius, the bill’s sponsor, told The Associated Press that the measure “isn’t anti-fluoride legislation, it is pro-informed consent and individual choice.” The bill also directs the Division of Professional Licensing to set guidelines for prescribing fluoride. “I don’t dispute that there can be positive benefits from fluoride, which is why the bill also includes a deregulation of the prescription,” Gricius said. The bill would take effect on May 7 if Cox signs it into law. RFK Jr. previously said the Trump administration would call on all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water, describing the mineral as “an industrial waste.” Dental experts largely disagree, stressing that data going back decades show fluoride is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay.