A bill that would repeal a state mandate to include fluoride in Arkansas’ drinking water systems is on the state Senate‘s agenda.

The Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor has said that it will discuss the issue Wednesday on whether to “repeal the statewide fluoridation program and to remove the mandate for water systems to maintain a fluoride content.”

Why It Matters

Multiple places in the U.S. are voting on whether to keep fluoride in water after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backed removing it in November. In September 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency was ordered to address how fluoride in water could risk children’s intellectual development. Opponents to a removal have highlighted a potential drop in dental health in the population.

Kennedy Jr. is President Donald Trump‘s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He is set to undergo confirmation hearings with the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee on Thursday.

What To Know

In November last year, Arkansas Republican state Senators Clint Penzo and Bryan King, and state Representatives Matt Duffield and Aaron Pilkington, filed two bills regarding fluoride in water.

Senate Bill 2 aims to remove the state’s mandatory fluoridation of drinking water. If passed, municipal water systems serving more than 5,000 people would be exempted from adding fluoride. This is the issue on the agenda for Wednesday.

Senate Bill 4 would allow voters to decide whether to keep fluoride in drinking water. The legislation would allow for a vote to be held by voter petition or by community officials, including a local water board.

Arkansas’ Department of Health states on its website that water systems add fluoride to drinking water to “improve the dental health of its customers,” adding that it is an “added benefit.”

The department also notes: “Although many questions have been raised about fluoride and its relationship to cancer, no studies have proven that its effects are harmful at levels normally used in drinking water. Almost every study demonstrates that fluoride greatly reduces the incidence of cavities.”

Florida Issues New Guidance

In November, Florida’s State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, issued a recommendation against community water fluoridation due to neuropsychiatric risks.

Why Is Fluoride Used in Tap Water?

Fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen tooth enamel, making it more resistant to acid attacks from plaque, bacteria and sugars, according to the American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other health bodies.

The mineral is found naturally in groundwater, freshwater and saltwater, as well as foods and soils. Community water fluoridation adjusts the amount of fluoride in drinking water to a level that will prevent tooth decay.

The fluoridation of U.S. water began in 1945, but recommended levels have since been lowered because of potential health risks.

Self-reported data from 2023 estimate that over 70 percent of Florida residents on community water systems receive fluoridated water, according to Ladapo. The CDC does not mandate community water fluoridation, but it says it is “one of 10 great public-health interventions of the 20th century.”

What Happens Next

The Arkansas state legislatures will be discussing the issue of fluoridation in the coming weeks.

Original article online at: https://www.newsweek.com/arkansas-scrap-fluoride-2022787