Louisiana House Blocks Proposal to Ban Fluoride in Public Water Systems

On Wednesday, Republicans in the Louisiana House voted down a proposal aimed at prohibiting the addition of fluoride to public water supplies, rejecting a growing movement supported by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee defeated the bill in a 4-11 vote, with six Republicans aligning with five Democrats to oppose it. The four Republicans who voted in favor of the bill were outnumbered.

The proposed legislation would have allowed fluoride to be added to public water systems only if residents gathered enough support to hold a vote, with a majority of registered voters in a given area agreeing to the measure—a significant challenge, particularly in places with low voter engagement.

Last month, the GOP-led state Senate passed Senate Bill 2 in a 24-10 vote. With the regular legislative session running until June 12, the anti-fluoride bill could still be revived before the session ends.

Earlier this month, Florida became the second state, after Utah, to adopt a law banning fluoride in public drinking water.

Fluoridation of community water has been a widespread public health practice in the U.S. since the 1940s, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsing it as a safe, effective method for reducing tooth decay.

However, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed by President Trump earlier this year to lead national health programs, has publicly expressed skepticism about water fluoridation. Despite strong support for fluoridation from dentists and health experts, Kennedy has called fluoride "industrial waste" and claimed it causes harm, though there is no scientific evidence to support these assertions.

In a post on social media platform X, Kennedy stated that the Trump administration would advise the removal of fluoride from public water systems, despite its long-standing endorsement as a public health measure.