This May, in compliance with new state legislation HB81, Utah ended the decades old public health practice of adding fluoride to the public drinking water. The main argument for this change is that fluoridation of water violates an individual’s freedom of choice. Proponents of the removal of fluoride from drinking water argue it is a forced medical treatment.
Fluoridation of water is an effective and necessary public health tool to reduce cavities in children and adults by up to 25%. But for most folks living in Utah this change will fall under the radar. This isn’t something they care strongly about and they will continue to drink whatever comes out of the tap. The mineral content of their water isn’t of personal interest to them. But this creates a problem for members of our communities who are already experiencing inadequate dental care. Fluoridated water is especially crucial, for example, for the child who’s not seeing the dentist every 6 months because his parents can’t afford to do so.
There are filters available that remove fluoride from water. Distilled water, which does not contain fluoride, is available at every major grocery store. For those who want to opt out of fluoridated water, options exist. However, the increased health care costs of treating preventable tooth decay for those who can’t afford to prevent it will likely fall to Medicaid at some point down the line. We could reduce the discomfort and suffering of those without dental access by instead using funds to provide folks with filters to remove fluoride if they so choose.
Most folks don’t care about what’s in their water, so let’s make sure it’s something good.
Jenny Weygandt, Salt Lake City
Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible