Water Fluoridation in Arkansas

ARHFC Safe Water Chairperson:
Crystal Harvey (501) 520-6990 or crystalthepink@gmail.com

Printable Fluoride Brochure (PDF)

ARHFC opposes mandatory water fluoridation. We believe that the use or non use of fluoride is a personal health decision that families should decide for themselves after researching sound scientific studies. ARHFC opposes forced water fluoridation at any level of government or through referendums.

In 2004, Representative Tommy Roebuck submitted mandatory water fluoridation legislation to the Interim House and Senate Public Health Welfare and Labor Committee for study. A presentation to the Interim Committee on the “benefits” of water fluoridation was quietly scheduled in September 2004. Fortunately two members of the ARHFC Board of Directors, Crystal Harvey and Cathy Uhl, heard about this meeting, just a few hours before the meeting convened, and rushed to Little Rock to testify against mandatory water fluoridation.

Senator Steve Farris recognized that the Committee needed more information about water fluoridation and scheduled testimony concerning the dangers of water fluoridation in December of 2004. J. William Hirzy (PhD, EPA Chemist In Residence, Vice President of EPA Union Washington, D.C.), James Presley (PhD Medical Historian), Lee Standing Bear Moor (Secretary Manataka American Indian Council), Karl Sandburg (M.D.), Joe Walls (Fluoride Injured Water Treatment Operator), Perry Ambrose (Clinical Nutritionist), and Sherry Johnston (ARHFC President) testified before the Interim Committee. Safe water supporters from across the state were present in force. The Committee did not entertain a motion to support mandatory water fluoridation.

When the General Assembly convened in 2005, Representative Roebuck submitted HB 2627 that mandated water fluoridation in all water supplies serving a population of 5,000 or more, even if the citizens had voted not to fluoridate their water. The bill was sent to the House Public Health Welfare and Labor Committee and was put forth as a non-controversial bill. As a result, ARHFC did not know that the bill was scheduled for presentation before the House Public Health Labor and Welfare Committee. The House Committee recommended “Do Pass” and the bill was rushed to the House floor where it passed.

ARHFC established its battle lines in the Senate Public Health Welfare and Labor Committee and within the Senate. The bill was presented as a bill with opposition and both those for and against mandatory fluoridation were given a fair hearing. Those testifying against the bill were: J. William Hirzy (PhD, EPA Chemist In Residence, Vice President of EPA Union Washington, D.C.), Roger Masters (PhD, Professor Dartmouth College), Chester Clark (DDS, MPH, Mayor of Amity), Joe Walls (Fluoride Injured Water Treatment Operator), Jim Allison (Manager Carrol-Boone Water District), Loretta Weston (Editor “American Family Voice”), and other individuals spoke about the dangers of water fluoridation.

The “Do Pass” vote was defeated by one vote and HB 2627 was killed. Voting for mandatory water fluoridation were Senators P. Malone, S. Womack, and J. Bookout. Senators S. Farris, B. Johnson, B. Horn, and J. Critcher voted against mandatory water fluoridation.

Only through the leadership of Crystal Harvey and the support of Senator Steve Farris was mandatory water fluoridation stopped in 2005. Committee Chairman, Senator Critcher, cast the tie breaking vote against mandatory water fluoridation. Efforts to get him and Senator Horn to change their votes were unsuccessful. Major media took an abusive stand against Senator Johnson, who held his ground. The courage of these senators to stand up for freedom of choice stopped HB 2627 in 2005.

A mandatory water fluoridation bill will be presented to the General Assembly in 2007. Only through education of our General Assembly members about the dangers of water fluoridation and the right of a citizen to choose to use or not to use fluoride will the wealthy organizations working to mandate water fluoridation be defeated again.