Fluoride in water on agenda in Xenia again

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By Christopher Magan, Staff Writer 3:32 PM Monday, November 23, 2009

XENIA — City Council will once again debate whether the city should add fluoride to its municipal water supply even though past attempts have faced the bite of public criticism.

Dennis Propes, council president, said he’s wanted to add fluoride to the city’s water since he joined the council in 2006. He chose not to seek another term and will leave the council at the end of the year.

“Fluorination of water is, next to vaccinations, one of the top advancements of public health in the 20th century,” Propes said.

But opposition to adding the chemical that is known to strengthen teeth and help prevent cavities has a history dating back to 1969 when city voters chose to be exempt from a new law requiring water fluorination.

Ballot initiatives about fluoride kept the chemical out of the Xenia water supply in 1987 and again in 2005.

The city is one of 23 in the state, including Lebanon, Greenville, Oakwood, Springfield and Troy that do not add fluoride, according to the state department of health. About 91 percent of Ohio residents drink fluorinated water from a municipal source.

Propes will introduce an ordinance Tuesday, Nov. 24 that would use a state grant to fund nearly all the cost. He isn’t confident his proposal will win the community or other council members’ support.

“Unfortunately, Xenia has an aging population that is against it,” he said.

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