Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced Sept. 29 that his office is launching a review of the costs and health impacts of fluoride added to Texas public drinking water, according to a news release from the Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Huffines said the review will examine what taxpayers and ratepayers spend, what the science says about health effects and whether there are better ways to improve dental care. He framed the effort in the release as a bid to end what he called the forced medicalization of Texans.
“I campaigned to root out fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer money wherever I find it, and my job is to follow the money and ask hard questions,” Huffines said. “When government puts something in the water that every Texan drinks, the people who pay for it and drink it deserve to know exactly what it costs, what it does, and whether there is a smarter way to get the same result.”
The release said fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is often added to public water systems. Citing the Texas Department of State Health Services, the release said fluoridation costs about $0.64 per person per year. With roughly 9.7 million Texans served by the 105 public water systems that add fluoride, the release put the annual cost at about $6.3 million. The release also said research has found that some Texas aquifers already contain naturally occurring fluoride above the level needed for optimal cavity prevention.
According to the Comptroller’s office, the review will examine how much is spent on water fluoridation statewide, including the state’s share, and the health effects of fluoridated water. It will also look at other state-supported public health mandates and programs that the office said medicalize Texans without individual choice, and at how other countries and states have responded to fluoridation, including which have moved away from it.
“This is about medical freedom, transparency, and accountability,” Huffines said in the release. He added that Texans “are entitled to the facts, the costs, and a voice in how their government spends their money and what it puts in their water.”
The release did not give a timeline for the review. Media inquiries may be directed to the Comptroller’s office at 512-463-4070.