Utah bans fluoride from public drinking water, aligning with MAHA movement

Utah has go the archetypal authorities successful the U.S. to prohibition adding fluoride to its nationalist drinking h2o systems arsenic concerns astir the decades-long signifier proceed to grow, fueled successful portion by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed authorities Thursday that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to adhd the chemic to their h2o systems.

The measure was passed by the legislature past period and is acceptable to spell into effect connected May 7.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox compared fluoride to being "medicated" by the government. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

RFK JR. CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM DRINKING WATER, SPARKING DEBATE

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals mislaid during mean deterioration and tear.

Critics, however, person agelong said that washing teeth with fluoride is not comparable to the risks posed by ingesting fluoride, with the second perchance triggering harmful neurotoxic effects. The fluoride utilized successful nationalist systems is typically not people occurring fluoride and is alternatively sourced from the phosphate fertilizer industry, wherever it’s captured during processing to forestall biology emissions.

Utah lawmakers who pushed for a prohibition said putting fluoride successful h2o was excessively costly and didn’t amended dental health. Cox, who grew up and raised his ain children successful a assemblage without fluoridated water, compared it precocious to being "medicated" by the government.

A photograph illustration of pat h2o successful a wide solid drinking glass. Utah volition outlaw adding fluoride connected May 7 to its h2o supplies. (Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)

Bill sponsor Rep. Stephanie Gricius, a Republican, told Fox News Digital successful January that she had been moving connected the measure since aboriginal past year, noting that fluoride is federally regulated arsenic a prescription.

"Community h2o fluoridation and informed consent, which is foundational to good health care, cannot coexist," Gricius said. "I judge powerfully successful idiosyncratic prime erstwhile it comes to what prescriptions we enactment into our bodies."

She said lone 2 of Utah's 29 counties signifier assemblage h2o fluoridation, and with a illustration size of much than 70,000 children, researchers recovered determination was nary important quality connected children's dental decay betwixt counties that add fluoride and those that bash not.

"In fact, the region with the lowest magnitude of decay does not add fluoride," she said.

The American Dental Association sharply criticized Cox and Utah lawmakers, saying the prohibition showed "wanton disregard for the oral wellness and well-being of their constituents." The radical said that cavities are the astir communal chronic puerility disease.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, wants to federally prohibition fluoride from nationalist h2o systems.  (Getty Images)

FLUORIDE IN WATER LINKED TO LOWER INTELLIGENCE

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed successful November to outlaw the signifier nationwide.

"Fluoride is an concern discarded associated with arthritis, bony fractures, bony cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease," RFK wrote successful a station connected X successful November.

Kennedy, who is seen arsenic the begetter of the MAHA question since helium endorsed President Trump’s statesmanlike run successful July, aims to amended nutrition, destruct toxins, sphere earthy habitats and combat the chronic illness epidemic successful this country.

If Kennedy were to extremity the practice, it would overturn a argumentation archetypal enacted 80 years agone erstwhile Grand Rapids, Michigan became the archetypal metropolis successful the satellite to fluoridate its h2o supply.

Currently, much than 200 cardinal Americans, oregon astir 75 percent of the population, portion fluoridated water.

A h2o inferior foreman astatine a works wherever fluoride is added to the drinking h2o successful Healdsburg, California. (Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

In September, a judge successful California ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further modulate fluoride due to the fact that precocious levels could airs "an unreasonable risk" to the intelligence improvement of children.

"Indeed, EPA’s ain adept agrees that fluoride is hazardous astatine immoderate level of exposure," the justice said. "And ample grounds establishes that a mother’s vulnerability to fluoride during pregnancy is associated with IQ decrements successful her offspring."

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Lawmakers successful states including Ohio, South Carolina and Florida person besides made proposals to restrict section governments oregon h2o strategy operators from adding fluoride to water.

Proposed restrictions connected fluoridation successful New Hampshire, Tennessee and North Dakota were rejected. A measurement successful Kentucky to marque fluoridation optional stalled successful the authorities Senate.

Fox News’ Ashley J. DiMella and The Associated Press contributed to this report.