Bills opposing fluoridation of water supplies killed by House committee

Two attempts to curtail fluoridation of public water supplies have been shot down by a committee of the New Hampshire House.

One bill, HB230, would have made it harder to file petitions seeking to add fluoride to water supplies. The other, HB585, would have changed state law to ban fluoridation outright; currently, a municipal water supply can fluoridate water only if voters have approved it by referendum. 

Both bills were killed by the House Municipal and County Government committee.

Water systems in a dozen New Hampshire cities and towns, including Concord, add fluoride. The chemical has been shown to reduce cavities and oral-health specialists support its inclusion in water supplies.

Opponents argue that it is often unnecessary and in some cases harmful because of the amount of fluoride people ingest from food and toothpaste.  

David Brooks