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House committee hears contested testimony on bill to ban adding fluoride to public water
Summary
The Montana House committee took testimony on House Bill 498, a proposed prohibition on introducing fluoride into public water systems; witnesses were sharply divided over public-health benefits, neurodevelopment studies and impacts on underserved residents.
The Montana House committee heard House Bill 498, which would prohibit introducing fluoride into public water systems. Representative Lucas Schubert, who presented the measure, said recent scientific papers raise concerns about neurodevelopmental effects and urged the committee to consider removing fluoride from public drinking supplies.
Representative Schubert told the committee that studies — including a systematic review and a JAMA Pediatrics meta-analysis cited by proponents — have reported associations between higher fluoride exposure and lower childhood IQ in some international studies. He argued fluoride added to water is not equivalent to topical fluoride and said local governments that fluoridate pay for that service (he cited a figure for the city of Bozeman) and that alternative, topical measures exist.
Proponents who testified included Rebecca Schwartz (Montana for Health and Family Rights), Lauren Golifon (college student, Bozeman), Lisa Bennett (resident of Carbon County) and…
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