Gov. Kevin Stitt also ordered the officials to submit a written report documenting fluoridation practices.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health has removed its recommendation that fluoride be added to public water systems, joining a growing number of states that have rolled back similar guidance.
An archived version of the webpage states the department “supports community water fluoridation and recognizes the practice as safe, cost-effective and beneficial to all who drink and use the water.” The page now returns an error message.
“I’m instructing the Oklahoma Department of Health to stop recommending fluoride in our water,” Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said during a press conference on June 26. “Cities and water districts, they can still choose to do what they want, based on their constituents and the science, but it’s no longer going to be a recommendation from the state health department.”
An executive order issued by Stitt on the same day said that there is “growing public concern, evolving scientific research, and fundamental principle of informed consent that call into question the continued appropriateness of mandatory fluoridation of the public drinking water system, a practice historically supported by the State of Oklahoma as a means of promoting dental health.”
The order directs state health and environmental officials to “immediately cease any state-level promotion or endorsement of fluoridation of the public water supply.”
It also directs the officials to carry out a comprehensive review of all state policies and procedures related to adding fluoride to public water supplies.
Stitt ordered the officials to submit a written report of their findings to him and lawmakers within 90 days.
The report shall document fluoridation practices and include “concrete recommendations and a timeline for transitioning away from a position or practice that mandates or promotes the fluoridation of the public water supply,” according to the order.
Some states have acted against water fluoridation, including Utah and Florida, in recent months.
Fluoride is a mineral. Proponents of adding fluoride to water say it helps prevent cavities. Opponents say the practice can result in negative effects, such as lower IQ.
