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Utah passes HB 81 to stop mandatory water fluoridation; sponsor cites court findings and safety concerns
Summary
Representative Stephanie Grisha said HB 81 removed mandatory water fluoridation in Utah and prioritized consumer choice after citing a federal court ruling that linked fluoride exposure to health and environmental risks and recounting operator injuries and a past school spill.
SALT LAKE CITY — Representative Stephanie Grisha described HB 81, the state’s fluoride amendment, as shifting fluoride from mass water treatment to an individual, pharmacy-based option and said the change prioritized parental and consumer choice.
Grisha told House Rules that a recent federal court ruling in California found the levels of fluoride used under the national standard "caused an unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment," and referenced studies discussed during that case about reduced IQ in children with high fluoride exposure.
She explained the distinction between naturally occurring calcium fluoride and chemicals added to public water systems, naming sodium fluoride and hydrofluorosilicic acid (a byproduct of phosphate mining), and noted handling hazards for the industrial chemical. "When water operators are handling this chemical, it's full hazmat suits head to toe," she said, and related an anecdote of a former operator with permanent lung damage and a separate school spill in Sandy, Utah, that she said changed a child’s life.
Grisha said the bill preserves access for those who want fluoride by allowing prescriptions and pharmacy distribution while ending blanket addition to municipal water. She described mixed reactions from dental associations, some providers, and local governments; she also said Salt Lake County passed a resolution supporting the state approach because the county wanted the policy off its plate.
The broadcast did not include committee reports, vote counts, or a statutory citation beyond the bill number; it did reference a California federal court decision but did not provide the decision’s docket or citation. Grisha characterized the measure as an example of evolving science and argued for continuing review of public-health interventions.
What’s next: Grisha said she will present Utah’s approach to a group of state health secretaries and that the change has attracted national attention, but the segment did not provide implementation timing or details about how water districts are to enact changes.
