H-3463.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2703

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State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Darneille, Skinner, Cody and Wood

Read first time 01/24/2002.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Studying the costs and benefits of fluoride in public water supplies.

    AN ACT Relating to the study of the effects of fluoridation of public water supplies; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that dental caries, one of the most prevalent diseases known, is often irreversible and has a significant medical and economic impact on millions of sufferers.  The legislature further finds that fluoride is known to reduce tooth decay and its associated pain and suffering by as much as forty percent, yet despite its proven benefits, many Washingtonians are not served by fluoridated water supplies, the most cost-effective means of providing this trace element to the population.  The legislature further finds that the state of Washington has a compelling need for current, reliable, and comprehensive information regarding the potential benefits of fluoridation in reducing expenditures incurred by medicaid and other public health programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The department of health must study the costs and benefits of dental disease prevention through fluoridation of public water supplies.  At a minimum, the study must include a review of medicaid and other public health costs to the state to determine the extent to which differences in these costs in different regions of the state are attributable to the presence or absence of fluoridated public water supplies.  The department of health must submit a report of its findings to the legislature by December 31, 2002.

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