Utah Governor Spencer Cox recently signed into law House Bill 81 (HB81), banning the addition of fluoride to public drinking water systems in the state. The legislation takes effect on May 7, 2025.

The addition of fluoride to drinking water systems became common practice in the 1940s as a method of preventing cavities and tooth decay. At present, more than 70 percent of the U.S. population receives fluoridated public drinking water. However, in recent years, the practice has come under scrutiny, due to some studies suggesting that fluoride may affect the neurological development of children. Specifically, much of the concern about fluoridated water originates from literature associating prenatal and childhood fluoride exposure with decreased IQ.

New U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose “Make America Healthy Again” agenda is rapidly shifting U.S. food safety regulation, is a known opponent of fluoridated drinking water.

The American Dental Association (ADA) said that HB81 would be a net negative for public health, writing, “Water fluoridation is listed as one of ten great public health achievements of the last century by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)… the lack [of good oral health] has been linked to several other chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, low birthweight, and diabetes.”

Utah Senator Kirk Cullimore (R-19), the Floor Sponsor of HB81, said, “This bill does not prohibit anybody from taking fluoride in whatever fashion they want. It just disallows people who do not want fluoride from having to consume fluoride in their water."

Anti-fluoridation bills have also been introduced in North Dakota, Tennessee, and Montana.