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Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, will stop adding fluoride to its water supply following a tied council vote broken by Mayor Kenneth Hock. The decision came after the council voted 6-5 against spending over $220,000 to upgrade fluoridation equipment. Mayor Hock, siding with council members opposing the upgrade, emphasized cost savings and changing beverage consumption habits as key factors in his decision.
Hock stated that upgrading the equipment would have cost the borough about $250,000, with an additional $50,000 per year to maintain fluoride addition. Over five years, the borough could save $500,000 by ending fluoridation. He noted that many residents expressed concerns about being "forced to drink a chemical when they don't want to" and highlighted the availability of fluoride in toothpaste, mouth rinses, and dental treatments.
Despite the decision, the borough's Board of Health and many residents supported continuing fluoridation, citing its dental health benefits. An online petition against fluoridation cited potential health risks, including dental and skeletal fluorosis, and claimed that most of Western Europe has removed fluoride from drinking water.
The decision reflects a broader debate over water fluoridation in the United States. While the American Dental Association endorses fluoridation for preventing tooth decay, some states have banned or are considering bans on the practice. The borough staff and engineers will work with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to decommission the fluoridation equipment, although the timeline for this is unclear.