DES MOINES, Iowa — Several Iowa House members have introduced a bill that would ban adding fluoride to drinking water.
On Wednesday, Rep. Wendy Larson (R-Sac County), Rep. Jeff Shipley (R-Van Buren County), Rep. Samantha Fett (R-Warren County), Rep. Zach Dieken (R-O’Brien County), and Rep. Helena Hayes (R-Mahaska) introduced HF 2395, which would ban adding fluoride to both public and private water supplies.
The Iowa House bill comes after Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his intention to push the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation nationwide.
Iowa began adding fluoride to community water systems in 1951 as a public health measure to prevent dental disease, with Waukon being the first city to adopt the practice. According to the Iowa Health and Human Services website, the addition of fluoride, referred to as Community Water Fluoridation, is considered one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, preventing an estimated 25% of tooth decay in both adults and children.
Today, about 89% of Iowans have access to fluoridated drinking water, Iowa HHS said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fluoride naturally occurs in water, but typically at levels too low to aid in tooth health, which is why many communities around the country add a small amount of the mineral, a recommended .07 mg/L, into the water to effectively prevent dental diseases.
In recent years, the practice of adding fluoride to water has faced scrutiny after reports were released that claimed consuming too much fluoride was associated with lower IQs in kids, as well as streaking or spots on teeth. One such report released in 2024 by the National Toxicology Program claimed that studies conducted in other countries, like Canada and China, found that drinking water with more than 1.5 mg/L of fluoride, over twice the CDC’s recommended level, was associated with lower IQs. However, research findings released in late 2025 found that the mineral consumed at the recommended level has no connection to IQ levels in children.
The American Dental Association said that water fluoridation at the recommended levels has proven to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of dental disease.
Only two states in the country have banned the addition of the mineral to water systems — Florida and Utah.
The bill was referred to the House Health and Human Services committee. A subcommittee meeting has not yet been scheduled.
Original article online at: https://who13.com/news/politics/iowa-politics/iowa-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-ban-adding-fluoride-to-drinking-water/