SALT LAKE CITY—U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin came to Salt Lake City on Monday, April 7, to discuss bills passed in the 2025 Legislative Session that will have a significant impact on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Legislative leadership and bill sponsors were also present at the press conference.

“This is an amazing day for Utah,” said House Speaker Mike Schultz. “Thank you Sen. Kennedy, Administrator Zeldin for coming to Utah.”

Utah is leading the way in making America healthy again, he said. “While other states are just talking about the solutions, Utah is actually implementing and creating the solutions. We’re excited to recognize Utah’s bold measures to ban supplemental fluoride in our drinking water, prohibit soda purchase with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and remove synthetic food dyes from the lunches in our public schools.”

“This past legislative session I was proud to sponsor HB81 Fluoride Amendments,” said Rep. Stephanie Gricius. “A straightforward and simple bill that prioritizes personal choice and expands medical freedom for Utah’s residents. First, the bill ensures that fluoride is no longer added to our public water systems.”

This means that every individual and family will have the freedom to choose for themselves whether to consume supplemental fluoride, rather than having it be automatically included in the public drinking water, she said. “Second, the bill expands access to fluoride for those who do want it, by allowing pharmacists across the state to prescribe fluoride supplements.”

“Secretary Kennedy and I have been fighting for decades for the health of Americans,” said Rep. Kristen Cherier, sponsor of HB402 Food Additives in Schools and HB403 to prohibit the purchase of soda using SNAP benefits. “Utah was the first to require a waiver to be submitted and the first to require the removal of harmful synthetic dyes and other chemical additives from our school prepared food.”

“We’re very proud of Utah,” said Kennedy. “It has emerged as the leader in making America healthy again. We have a public health crisis now in our country like nothing that we’ve ever seen before. We’re seeing a crisis of mental health that is linked in some way to our foods.”

Girls are reaching puberty six years earlier, he said. “We’re seeing an explosion of cancers. Now we’re seeing kids in their teens with colorectal cancers. If we want to maintain our moral authority around the world, our chief obligation is to our children and we’re letting them down.”

Utah has led the nation in banning fluoride, Kennedy said. “Fluoride should not be in the water. Fluoride had a strong justification in the 1940s. When it was added people didn’t understand the science. They thought it was a benefit to our teeth. Now we know that there is no systemic advantage.”

It makes no sense to have it in the water supply, said Kennedy. “I’m very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it and I hope many more will come.”

However, some dentists disagree. “I’ve been a pediatric dentist for 50 years,” said Chris Simonsen, DDS. “We’re seeing the decay rate in kids going up. About half of kids have one cavity by the age of 5. Part of that I feel is a lack of parental supervision. Kids are not brushing and flossing. Parents need to step up at an early age.”

There is a great deal of research that shows (fluoride in the water) works, he said. “It strengthens enamel. I’ve seen the benefits. I had it as a child and I’ve only had one cavity my entire life.”

Simonson said he has many friends who are not anti-fluoridation, they just don’t want it in the water. “They feel it takes away their right to choose what is put in their body. It all comes down to that. All the dentists I know are saddened by taking it out.”