Senator seeks to end fluoridation of Oklahoma's public water supplies

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed legislation to prohibit fluoride from being added to any public water supply.

“Many countries have stopped the use of fluoride in their water due to health concerns and lack of supporting evidence for its efficacy when ingested,” Dahm said. “Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are just a few of the countries to do so.”

Senate Bill 165 would prohibit every county, municipality, city, town, school, or political subdivision thereof, or public or private business operating in the state from introducing or depositing fluoride into any public water supply.

“If individuals want to use fluoride there are ways they can access it,” Dahm said. “This legislation would prohibit the forced usage of fluoride on the entire population, leaving it up to the individual to decide whether to consume it.”

The addition of fluoride to public drinking water systems has been routine in communities across the United States since the 1940s and 1950s.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, fluoride in drinking water reduces dental decay by 18-40%.