A resolution offered in the House of Representatives on September 10 would recognize drinking water fluoridation as one of the country’s “great public health initiatives.” Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Wy.) – a former dentist – introduced the measure on the 70th anniversary of communities first adding fluoride to their water supplies.
Introduced as H.Res. 416, Rep. Simpson’s resolution is non-binding, and if passed would not alter any state or federal laws. Instead the measure is simply a mechanism to formally recognize the public health benefits delivered by water fluoridation.
“Twenty-two years of practicing dentistry showed me firsthand the value of good oral health and the consequences of neglect, especially among children,” Rep. Simpson said in a statement. “That is why improving access to oral health care has been a top priority for me since coming to Congress. This resolution sheds light on a cost-effective measure that has helped improve the health of millions of Americans.”
The full text of the resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives recognizing community water fluoridation as one of the great public health initiatives on its 70th anniversary.
Whereas fluoridation of community water supplies is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has proclaimed community water fluoridation as one of ten great public health achievements of the 20th century; and
Whereas studies prove water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing dental decay by at least 25 percent in children and adults, even in the of era widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes community water fluoridation as a vitally important public health initiative on its 70th anniversary.