- Oklahoma will stop recommending fluoride in public water systems as part of the “Make Oklahoma Healthy Again” initiative.
- Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order ending state health department promotion of fluoridation.
- The executive order also targets artificial food coloring in government food programs.
Oklahoma will no longer recommend fluoride in local water systems as part of Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s new “Make Oklahoma Healthy Again” initiative, a move that received immediate pushback from physicians.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined Stitt in announcing the details of the new campaign at a news conference on Thursday, June 26. Stitt signed an executive order at the event that requires the Oklahoma State Department of Health to immediately stop promoting or endorsing fluoridation as a way to prevent childhood tooth decay until new recommendations from a Stitt-created panel can be developed.
The governor also ordered the removal of artificial food coloring in government-funded food programs and said he had asked federal officials to allow the state to block SNAP benefits from covering soda, candy and other sugary confections.
The new state initiatives mirror recent stances from Kennedy, who recently said fluoride is making Americans “stupider.” The health secretary also announced in April that eight artificial food dyes would be cut from the nation’s food supply.
Stitt and Kennedy grabbed three children to surround the governor as he signed the executive order during the press conference at the Oklahoma Capitol. Kennedy said during the event that Oklahomans were fortunate to have a governor like Stitt.
Over a dozen supporters stood behind Stitt and Kennedy with signs that read “Thank you Gov. Stitt,” and “Freedom grows here.” One man began an enthusiastic “U.S.A.” chant among the crowd.
The conference in the Capitol rotunda also drew several onlookers and many critics of Republican-backed policies, including many who held signs reading “Protect Medicaid” and “Support Education.”
Medical professionals criticize removing fluoride recommendation
The governor said cities and water districts can still choose whether or not to add fluoride to their water supply. But the state Health Department, an executive agency, would no longer recommend it.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral in water and many foods that strengthens tooth enamel and reduces the risk of cavities, according to the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center.
Dr. Jennifer Collins, a family medicine physician at the SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital-Oklahoma City, attended the news conference and criticized Stitt’s call to stop recommending its use.
“The data is so strong in support of fluoride in the water and the way in which we do it in this country, as well as the other countries that have implemented that,” Collins said.
The American Dental Association backs fluoridation and reaffirmed its support for it in April after Kennedy said he’d tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending cities and states from adding fluoride to public water systems.
“As dentists, we see the direct consequences fluoride removal has on our patients and it’s a real tragedy when policymakers’ decisions hurt vulnerable kids and adults in the long term,” association President Dr. Brett Kessler said in a news release. “Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people, costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.”
Utah became the first state to prohibit the addition of fluoride in the state’s water supply after Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed new legislation that went into effect in May.
Kennedy pointed out that Oklahoma is ranked 47th in health and well-being, and Stitt reiterated his push to make the state a “Top 10 state,” but neither specified how stopping the use of fluoride in public water supplies would move the needle.
Removing fluoride from public water systems will hurt Oklahomans who don’t have access to dentists and obtain fluoride treatments, Collins told The Oklahoman.
“People without resources are the ones who are going to suffer,” she added.
Dr. Twana Duncan, president of the Oklahoma Dental Association, said in a news release that her organization supports community water fluoridation as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.
‘Make Oklahoma Healthy Again’ also targets artificial food coloring
Stitt also ordered state agencies to eliminate artificial food coloring in government-funded food programs, including summer meal programs and meals served at state correctional facilities.
Kennedy said during the news conference that the federal government should not be paying for Americans to consume candy and sugary drinks.
“You’re poisoning the American people,” he said. “Now, American children are having an obesity crisis.”
Targeting sugary drinks is not an inappropriate step for public officials to take, but neither Stitt nor Kennedy addressed how they would ensure people receiving SNAP benefits have access to healthier foods, said Dr. Steven Crawford, who chairs the Oklahoma Alliance for Healthy Families.
“I didn’t hear that they were going to increase funding for children getting adequate nutrition, particularly during the summer, but throughout the year,” Crawford, a family medicine doctor with OU Health, said after the news conference. “I think getting adequate nutrition for children is critical to our long-term health.”
During his remarks, Kennedy repeatedly criticized the nation’s food supply as the reason children and adults are becoming sicker. He pointed to increased autism rates and decreased fertility rates, without citing medical evidence behind those trends.
“We have to do something different,” he said. “I came into this campaign saying, ‘We’ve got to do something.’”
Stitt said he would establish a MOHA Advisory Council to advise and make recommendations on policies and programs related to the MOHA initiative without additional taxpayer funding. Instead, the state Health Department is supposed to use existing state funding, pursue federal grants and rely on philanthropic support.
Dr. Sumit Nanda, president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, said his advocacy organization representing physicians and medical students agreed that Oklahoma’s health needs must be addressed, but doing so doesn’t require “Washington slogans.”
“If we truly want to make Oklahoma healthy, Oklahoma’s health community is here, and we’re ready for a serious conversation with Gov. Stitt on the best way to do that,” Nanda said in a statement sent to news organizations. “Washington’s political theatre should stay in Washington.”
Nanda’s group, along with the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians, instead suggested five “practical ways to make Oklahoma healthy,” including investing in health care infrastructure and education, educating Oklahomans about preventative care, restoring federal funding cuts to health care, stopping “insurance company overreach,” and ensuring Medicaid is fully funded.
“Oklahoma’s health crisis won’t be solved without bold, sustained investment in primary care,” said Dr. Rachel Franklin, president of the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians. “We need more primary care physicians in our communities, targeted programs that improve health outcomes and a system that trains and keeps doctors where they’re needed most.”
Original article online at: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2025/06/26/make-oklahoma-healthy-again-targets-fluoride-water-food-dyes/84352850007/