Why Hawaii Continues To Keep Fluoride Out Of Its Drinking Water
Nearly 70% of the U.S.’s population receive fluoride through public
water systems. Hawaii remains an outlier, thanks to long-standing
opposition.
This legislative session, two fluoride-related bills cycled through the Hawaii Senate, each with the opposite intention.
The first was a proposal to fluoridate Hawaii’s public drinking water, something that has failed over and over in previous legislative sessions. The other was the first of its kind: a bill that would place an outright ban on water fluoridation in Hawaii.
Both bills died. But their fates shed light on why Hawaii, whose population has some of the worst oral health in the nation, isn’t likely to get fluoridation anytime soon.
A 2015 Hawaii Department of Health study found the state has the highest rate of tooth decay in the nation among third graders, and nearly half of Hawaii adults have lost at least one tooth because of tooth decay or gum disease.
Yet lawmakers remain split on the use of fluoridation to address poor oral health in Hawaii, even as community water fluoridation has become a relatively common practice, with about 71% of Americans receiving it through their public water systems.
Hawaii’s fluoridation debate is mostly split between two camps: dentists and public health advocates on the pro-fluoride side, and anti-fluoridation activists and some longtime Hawaii lawmakers on the other.
Water fluoridation is endorsed by the Hawaii Dental Association, which cites the global backing of the scientific and medical community, including the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2015, the CDC touted community water fluoridation as one of the greatest public health achievements in the country’s history, citing it as a cost-effective initiative that has been shown to reduce tooth decay by about 25% in children and adults.
Hawaii Sens. Mike Gabbard and Donna Mercado Kim reject those recommendations and remain rooted in the belief that community water fluoridation equates to unnecessary “mass-medication,” a term both of them used.
Gabbard, who proposed the ban on water fluoridation, said he has many constituents in opposition.
“Many folks are saying, ‘Look, I’m a taxpayer and this is big government shoving this down my throat, and it’s not fair, especially when you have other solutions that can help kids overcome tooth decay,’” Gabbard said. “The bottom line is that we greatly value our pristine water.”
Gabbard said Senate Bill 2732 was requested by a retired chemist and he received advice on drafting the legislation from Stuart Cooper, campaign director for Fluoride Action Network, a donations-based anti-fluoride group.
Gabbard’s bill wasn’t scheduled for a hearing and ultimately failed to move forward this legislative session.
The legislation in support of fluoridation, Senate Bill 2997, also stalled when Sen. Karl Rhoads wasn’t able to garner enough votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose members include Gabbard and Kim.
“When you hold a hearing on fluoride, it’s a zoo,” Rhoads said in an interview with Civil Beat before the hearing. “There’s definitely a vocal minority who will come out and make all kinds of wild claims about the effects of fluoride.”
His bill had a new twist, requiring water to be fluoridated until the the Department of Health verifies that 100% of the population has dental insurance or has rejected dental insurance. DOH, which testified in favor of the bill, estimated the cost of modifying 169 Hawaii public water supply systems would cost between $9.3 million and $18.6 million, as well as other expenses.
The first was a proposal to fluoridate Hawaii’s public drinking water, something that has failed over and over in previous legislative sessions. The other was the first of its kind: a bill that would place an outright ban on water fluoridation in Hawaii.
Both bills died. But their fates shed light on why Hawaii, whose population has some of the worst oral health in the nation, isn’t likely to get fluoridation anytime soon.
A 2015 Hawaii Department of Health study found the state has the highest rate of tooth decay in the nation among third graders, and nearly half of Hawaii adults have lost at least one tooth because of tooth decay or gum disease.
Hawaii, where long-standing opposition
has blocked fluoridation of public water, has some of the highest rates
tooth decay among kids in the nation. This teledentistry program visits the Big Island and Maui schools to provide dental check ups to kids. Natasha Ala
Hawaii’s fluoridation debate is mostly split between two camps: dentists and public health advocates on the pro-fluoride side, and anti-fluoridation activists and some longtime Hawaii lawmakers on the other.
Water fluoridation is endorsed by the Hawaii Dental Association, which cites the global backing of the scientific and medical community, including the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2015, the CDC touted community water fluoridation as one of the greatest public health achievements in the country’s history, citing it as a cost-effective initiative that has been shown to reduce tooth decay by about 25% in children and adults.
Hawaii Sens. Mike Gabbard and Donna Mercado Kim reject those recommendations and remain rooted in the belief that community water fluoridation equates to unnecessary “mass-medication,” a term both of them used.
Gabbard, who proposed the ban on water fluoridation, said he has many constituents in opposition.
“Many folks are saying, ‘Look, I’m a taxpayer and this is big government shoving this down my throat, and it’s not fair, especially when you have other solutions that can help kids overcome tooth decay,’” Gabbard said. “The bottom line is that we greatly value our pristine water.”
Gabbard said Senate Bill 2732 was requested by a retired chemist and he received advice on drafting the legislation from Stuart Cooper, campaign director for Fluoride Action Network, a donations-based anti-fluoride group.
Gabbard’s bill wasn’t scheduled for a hearing and ultimately failed to move forward this legislative session.
The legislation in support of fluoridation, Senate Bill 2997, also stalled when Sen. Karl Rhoads wasn’t able to garner enough votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose members include Gabbard and Kim.
“When you hold a hearing on fluoride, it’s a zoo,” Rhoads said in an interview with Civil Beat before the hearing. “There’s definitely a vocal minority who will come out and make all kinds of wild claims about the effects of fluoride.”
His bill had a new twist, requiring water to be fluoridated until the the Department of Health verifies that 100% of the population has dental insurance or has rejected dental insurance. DOH, which testified in favor of the bill, estimated the cost of modifying 169 Hawaii public water supply systems would cost between $9.3 million and $18.6 million, as well as other expenses.
