Louisiana Senators Push Bill to Remove Fluoride from State Water

Two members of the Louisiana State Senate have pre-filed a bill that would finally accomplish the controversial mission of removing fluoride from the state's water supply.

Why Is Flouride In Our Water and Why Do People Say It's Bad?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that protects teeth from decay. In 1901, the dentist Frederick McKay discovered that people in Colorado Springs had teeth in amazing shape, and eventually found that the fluoride naturally found in the drinking water had kept their teeth intact and protected from decay.

It was sometime in 1945 that some parts of the United States began putting small amounts of fluoride into the drinking water and found that the number of reported cavities dropped, so in 1962 the United States Public Health Service recommended that fluoride be added to the drinking water across the country.

Many people for years have been demanding that fluoride be removed from the public water supply because of the possible health effects it may have. In the 1990s worry began to stir that fluoride could be a leading cause of cancer after a study found some male rats developed bone cancer after being given fluoride water in an experiment.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy has claimed fluoride is linked to many health risks IQ loss, mental disorders, arthritis, and of course bone cancer. Studies have disputed some of these claims but public sentiment remains cautious, some disapprove of the use simply because on moral grounds they see fluorinated tap water as a medication they have no say in being prescribed.

Louisiana Lawmakers Make Moves to Remove Fluorinated Water

Louisiana State Senators Mike Fesi and Patrick McMath have written a bill that would eliminate the fluoridation of Louisiana's drinking water.

Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

McMath told WDSU that a key incentive in removing any trace of fluoride from the state's water is a medical and personal one, "we are medicating our state's water. When you're talking about it in terms of a medication, we are denying the principles of informed consent."

The bill has been jointly pre-filled by Senators Fesi and McMath and will be up for consideration when the State Senate convenes again on April 14th.