A bill awaiting the governor's signature would prohibit adding fluoride to public water systems.

AI Summary:

  • Utah is poised to ban fluoride in public water systems, pending the governor’s signature.
  • The bill prohibits adding fluoride to public water and repeals previous related laws.
  • Federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized fluoride, influencing the bill.
  • Studies on fluoride’s impact on children’s IQ have mixed results, with some showing negative effects and others showing no harm.
  • Major public health groups support fluoridation for dental health benefits.
  • The anti-fluoridation movement has gained popularity post-Covid-19.
  • Similar legislation is proposed in Florida, emphasizing the importance of consent in public health measures.
  • phdepressed
    63·
    22 hours ago

    The Utah dental association was strongly against it. Dentists already make good money and most of them actually care about their patients health.

    Dental health is also strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease and other diseases.

    • KanzarEnglish
      18·
      21 hours ago

      Yeah I’m in dental myself (another country), and when anti-fluoride patients come in, we generally sassily remark that we thank them for keeping us in business. Bit of dark humour to see the silver lining in things, I guess?

      There have certainly been dental clinics going out of business in the last few years, something quite unheard of - unlike other ‘new businesses’, the success rate of opening a new dental clinic was normally guaranteed (unlike say a new cafe).

      If the general population want to remove one of the best public health initiatives, then so be it. We’ll make hay while the sun shines.