The Beehive State would be the first in the union to prohibit the addition of fluoride to the water supply.
The Utah Senate approved legislation Friday that would prohibit the addition of fluoride to public water systems. The bill, criticized by the American Dental Association and a handful of supposed health experts, is now headed to the desk of Governor Spencer Cox, who has indicated he will sign it into law.
While the Beehive State is now set to become the first in the union to pass such a ban, it is unlikely to be the last.
The fluoridation of public waters has long been a subject of heated debate. Advocates for fluoridation argue that the chemical compound helps prevent cavities and tooth decay and strengthens enamel. Critics, on the other hand, suggest that adding fluoride to the water supply poses an unnecessary risk, referring to the scientific evidence linking exposure at elevated levels to various adverse health effects in humans, such as osteosclerosis, calcification of tendons, endocrine dysfunction, bone deformities, premature menarche in adolescent girls, and problems sleeping.
