Editorial: Time is now for fluoride in our water

Tuesday, March 16, 1999 | 11:45 a.m.

Scientific studies over the years have shown that fluoride in drinking water is one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is now available in the water supply for 62 percent of Americans, but Nevada unfortunately trails far behind, with just 2 percent of our state's population using fluoridated water.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, has introduced legislation that would turn this around. Her bill would require fluoride to be used in the drinking water in Clark and Washoe counties, the state's two largest counties. In Clark County, the Las Vegas Valley Water District estimates that fluoridation would result in $4.4 million in start-up costs, which the state would fund under Giunchigliani's plan. The operating costs for the use of fluoride would be $500,000 a year.

The cost for fluoridating water, however, is a small price to pay for such a critical public-health issue. Dentists who testified before a legislative hearing in Carson City last week said that 70 percent of the cavities in children could be prevented if fluoride was used. In addition, the dentists estimated that for every dollar spent on fluoride, at least $80 is saved on dental care costs.

Opponents of Assembly Bill 284 have engaged in misleading scare tactics. They have suggested fluoride is as toxic as arsenic and lead, and even have referred to fluoride as "poison." The accusations are eerily similar to those made by a principal character in a 1964 movie, the black comedy "Dr. Strangelove": An Air Force general, Jack D. Ripper, initiates a nuclear war against the Soviet Union because he is afraid that fluoridation is a communist plot to destroy his "precious bodily fluids."

While the Cold War may be over, some of the hysteria from that era lingers with us. It is mind-boggling that people in this day and age continue to believe that fluoride in drinking water is dangerous, especially in light of the countless scientific studies that show how beneficial it is.

The bottom line is this is a public-health issue that demands elected officials do what's in the public interest. In the same way that immunizations are required for children before they can attend school, the Legislature should require fluoridation in Clark and Washoe counties. Fluoridation could do wonders to reduce tooth decay among Nevadans and especially give children the head start they need to ensure that they don't unnecessarily suffer from dental cavities.