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General Fluoridation Law

Most states have the provision of allowing a referendum public vote on the controversial program of fluoridation. In fact, this public measure has been voted upon more than 4000 times in the last 50 years with approximately 80% of the elections defeating fluoridation.

Since 1990 more than 37 cities and towns in the United States have voted against fluoridation. (See Rejection of fl2 for a list of cities and towns.)

Massachusetts Fluoridation Law

Under the General Laws of Massachusetts, fluoridation can be ordered by the Public Health Department, after which they must wait 90 days before it is acted upon.

During that 90 days any individual in the town or city which has been ordered by the local Health Department to fluoridate can circulate a petition to have the issue placed on the ballot. Ten per cent of registered voters is necessary to bring this measure to the ballot box.

Cities or towns that share a common water supply must have the support of the majority of all the involved Health Departments before the issue to fluoridate can be acted upon. A copy of this specific law can be viewed here.

Glitches in the Law

The Health Department and dental profession, in our opinion, try to circumvent the public's rights on this issue by putting restrictions on the public's ability to vote in this process. For example, if two or more cities share the water supply, under the current law they are considered a "water district" and the public is circumvented from the right to voice their opinion through vote on this issue. It is our opinion that if two or more cities share the same water supply, both cities* should vote on this issue. The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) of Boston used this very rule to fluoridate, without the vote of the public, the 33 cities and towns using the Quabbin Reservoir for their water supply. In fact, the majority of people in MA that are drinking fluoridated water today were forced to drink it without a vote due to this "district rule".

*If the Boards of Health order it.

See other sites regarding Fluoridation and the Law.

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