LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Legislature has advanced a bill that would require fluoride be added to water over the objection of some lawmakers who say the substance is poisonous.

Cities and towns with at least 1,000 residents would have to add fluoride under a bill that senators gave second-round approval to on Wednesday.

The goal is to reduce tooth decay. Medicaid dental programs cost as much as 50 percent less in fluoridated communities, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

But Sen. Don Preister of Bellevue said other research shows fluoride has been linked to health problems and doesn't necessarily prevent tooth decay. Much of the information he shared with lawmakers comes from the Fluoride Action Network, a group that says its goal is to spread awareness about the toxicity of fluoride.

The components of fluoride come from industrial waste, Preister said.

"I prefer not to have industrial waste in my water, and I would not do that to anybody else," he said.

The objections frustrated Sen. Joel Johnson of Kearney, who introduced the bill (LB245) and says fluoride is the single most-effective measure to prevent tooth decay.

"There is no evidence that it is poisonous," he said.

Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln called the studies Preister cited "far-fetched," "alarmist" and "conspiracy theories."

Comment: Once again, we see the term "conspiracy theory" delivered as a pejorative in an attempt to silence the valid concerns of citizens and those that represent them.


Other senators called the bill an unfunded mandate because it will cost some cities thousands of dollars to start fluoridating.

"If it is such a great deal, let's pay for it," said Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial.

Towns and cities that don't fluoridate their water could vote before June 1, 2010, to opt out of the law if it were to pass. Those places where there is enough naturally occurring fluoride wouldn't have to add any.

But many cities have already opted out of the current law requiring them to fluoridate water. Those that have opted out in the past would have to vote again to keep from adding fluoride.

"My communities have already decided to opt out," said Sen. Deb Fischer of Valentine. "What this bill does is force taxpayers to fund an election."

Most of Nebraska's population -- more than 942,00 people -- is served by 65 public water systems that add fluoride to water. Forty-one systems are naturally fluoridated.

But 64 Nebraska communities with more than 1,000 people don't add fluoride or have enough naturally occurring. Those add up to more than 297,000 people in cities such as North Platte, Grand Island and Norfolk.

Cities that don't fluoridate could have capital costs of about $5,000 per treatment point, which means larger cities such as Hastings could have to pay as much as $100,000 up front to start fluoridating water.