NYC Bill to Eliminate Water Fluoridation Dies in Committee

Int. No. 1379-2025, the New York City (NYC) bill to eliminate water fluoridation in the City, never left the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency and Waterfronts and the full New York City Council has adjourned for 2025.  Therefore, the bill has died in committee.

The New York State Dental Association (NYSDA) has closely monitored public discussion surrounding this proposal, which sought to remove fluoride from the City’s municipal drinking water—threatening to dismantle one of the most significant and well-documented public health achievements of the past century.

NYSDA formally opposed Int. No. 1379 through a written submission to the City Council and remains firmly against any effort to eliminate community water fluoridation. Decades of scientific research demonstrate that water fluoridation is a safe, effective, and evidence-based public health measure, proven to reduce tooth decay by 25–30% across populations. It is endorsed by more than 100 health and medical organizations, including the American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and NYSDA.

Although the bill included a provision to offer fluoride supplements upon request, NYSDA emphasized that this approach is neither equitable nor practical. Community water fluoridation remains the most accessible, cost-effective, and inclusive way to deliver oral health benefits. Replacing fluoridated water with a supplement-based program would disproportionately impact vulnerable and underserved communities, increasing existing oral health disparities.

NYSDA, in collaboration with its lobbyists and legal counsel, will continue to advocate for maintaining fluoridation in New York’s drinking water and to educate policymakers and the public on its safety, effectiveness, and importance at the recommended level of 0.7 mg/L. The Association urges its members to remain engaged on this issue and to stand with the scientific community, healthcare professionals, and public health leaders in support of evidence-based policy that protects the oral health of all New Yorkers.