Voters in Sublimity will decide whether or not to continue adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water during the May 17 election after officials and residents spent two years examining the issue.
Measure 24-460 was added to the ballot following a series of City Council discussions and community input that began after the matter was raised during a community forum in 2020.
A vote in favor of the measure supports the continued use of fluoride. If the measure is voted down, the city will discontinue fluoridation.
Sublimity’s water system serves 860 hookups for the city’s 2,760 residents, according to the most recent information reported to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
The issue was first brought before the City Council during a community workshop in January 2020, when residents were encouraged to discuss goals they wished the city to pursue. The City Council researched the matter and sought public input, receiving feedback from residents both for and against fluoridation.
Because residents were split, the council chose to place the issue on the Nov. 2, 2021, general election ballot to let voters decide. However the cost to add a measure to this election was prohibitive and the council opted instead for the upcoming primary election.
The council has not taken an official position on the issue, with Mayor James Kingsbury instead expressing gratitude to the many residents who provided input.
“We appreciate all your feedback about adding fluoride in the city’s water,” said Kingsbury in Sublimity’s November 2020, monthly newsletter.
A majority of municipal water systems in the US add fluoride as a public health measure against tooth decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control. OHA describes fluoridation as “a proven, safe and low-cost” way to prevent dental cavities.
However, fluoridation has received criticism since its early proliferation in the 1950s by individuals who claimed it was an invasion of medical privacy, or who blamed fluoride for disease. Both state and federal courts have ruled that fluoridation at recommended levels is legal, comparing it to the use of chlorine to sterilize water.
