linky to ap

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation Thursday barring cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.

Florida, Ohio and South Carolina are considering similar measures, while in New Hampshire, North Dakota and Tennessee, lawmakers have rejected them. A bill in Kentucky to make fluoridation optional stalled in the state Senate.

The American Dental Association sharply criticized the Utah law, saying it showed “wanton disregard for the oral health and well-being of their constituents.”

Cavities are the most common chronic childhood disease, the ADA noted. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Carl [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    4·
    16 days ago

    oh god I just realized that this creates a market for bottled water with flouride that can be marketed to people who don’t have rotted brains and that that means it will almost certainly go nationwide with enough time.

  • joaomarrom [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    2·
    16 days ago

    edit: [removed link, wtf was I thinking]

    israel has fluoridated water, so it’s antisemitic to remove fluoride from the water supply… do better, Utah, shame on you, wait until the ADL hears about this

    but seriously, what the fuck? the US is really relitigating 50’s/60’s conspiracy theories now? lmao joke of a country

    • Belly_Beanis [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      2·
      16 days ago

      relitigating 50’s/60’s conspiracy theories now?

      Yes lmao. The fluoride thing is deceptively rooted in reality. The nazis experimented with fluoride gas because it can be weaponized by mixing it with other elements to make things like hydrofluoric acid. They gave up on it in favor of Zyklon-B, since the reaction times of hydrofluoric acid was too slow. There’s also health problems that can occur when exposed to high concentrations of fluorine gas.

      Fast forward to the 2000s and you have a resurgence of fluoride mind control nonsense as more places add liquid fluoride to drinking water and most dental hygiene products contain fluoride with fewer non-fluoride products. People ran away with the plot regarding nazi experiments during the Holocaust, like a giant game of telephone. Fast forward again to 2025 and there’s people who spent the last 20 years listening to this shit now in positions of power.

  • FedPosterman5000 [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    16 days ago

    Lmao my dad grew up in Algeria/Morocco/Tunisia in the mid century, and he just finished getting his remaining teeth removed in prep for implants. Since he never had fluoride growing up, his teeth were extremely porous and had literally rotted out through his life - an extremely common oral health problem with a clear divide between people who had fluoride treatment in childhood or not. Like polio or measles though I suppose XD

  • adultswim_antifa [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    16 days ago

    I’ve thought of Utah as a bit less weird and more religiously conservative due to Mormons and evangelicals being distanced but I guess the conservative brain worms don’t spare anybody.

  • SoyViking [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    16 days ago

    In Denmark we don’t add fluoride (or chlorine) to the drinking water. Being able to have “pure” ground water in the tap has been a policy for decades and is a minor source of national pride.

    We also have universal dental care with frequent checkups until you’re 18 so that probably helps make up for any of the lost health benefits of adding extra flouride to the water.