Kennedy Jr. backs Utah new law barring fluoride from public water supplies
Apr 7, 2025, 8:47 PM | Updated: 9:11 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Top Trump administration officials on Monday applauded Utah leaders for multiple new laws that fall in line with ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiatives, including one that bars fluoride in public water supplies.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin stood by Utah legislative leaders during a news conference at the University of Utah Monday afternoon.
“I’m very proud of Utah,” Kennedy Jr. said. “It has emerged as the leader in ‘Making America Healthy Again.’”
HB81 was recently signed into law.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hopes more states will take Utah’s lead
It bars cities from adding fluoride to public water supplies, and Kennedy Jr. said he hoped more states would follow suit.
“In Europe, most of the nations have already banned fluoride and their cavities have not increased,” Kennedy Jr. said. “The indicators are that fluoride damages IQ in the same way as leaded gasoline — at the same level it does — and we saw about a 2-point IQ — nationally, a 2-point IQ hike — after about 20 years after the ban on leaded gasoline. We will see a difference and people will be healthier.”
Kennedy pointed to recent research from the National Toxicology Program that suggested higher levels of fluoride exposure are associated with lower IQs in children.
The study stated in bold lettering, “It is important to note that there were insufficient data to determine if the low fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L currently recommended for U.S. community water supplies has a negative effect on children’s IQ.”
Kennedy Jr. also noted negative health effects to things like kidney and liver health.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency would review its own guidelines.
“What the EPA is going to do is go back and look at these studies that have come out since July of 2024, and we’re prepared to act based on the science,” Zeldin told reporters. “If this is as important as it is to Secretary Kennedy, if it’s important as it is clearly to so many people who are here in this room at this press conference today, then it is top of the list for the Environmental Protection Agency.”
State lawmakers said HB81 supports families’ individual choice whether to take supplemental fluoride.
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz noted the law also makes it easier for families to obtain fluoride through a prescription.
Passage of the new law wasn’t without significant opposition from dentists and other health care providers.
On Monday, Lorna Koci with the Utah Oral Health Coalition said she felt like there was some “science doubting” in play.
“Right now, there is nothing that is showing that water fluoridation at the levels it is recommended is harmful to people,” she told KSL TV.
She said the net result will be additional costs to Utah families.
“We think the impact with the increase in decay will cause more children to be out of school, it’ll cause more people to not be working,” Koci said. “Those are all significant problems that we feel good that we’ve been able to avoid while we have had the fluoridation here in three areas of the state for many years.”
