USA - In Spokane's latest fight over fluoride, advocates are making their case to leaders, not voters

 Aug. 16--After decades of failure at the ballot box, proponents of adding fluoride to the city of Spokane's water supply are taking a different approach.

They are pleading with city leaders to circumvent voters and take immediate action, counting on a renewed prioritization of public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dental health experts and fluoridation proponents argue that the coronavirus has demonstrated the importance of science-based public health measures and highlighted the inequities caused by their absence.

"People understand more about public health right now, so maybe this is a good time to go in and push on the City Council to say, 'Hey, you can do something about this,'" said Dr. James Sledge, a retired Spokane dentist who previously served on the state Board of Health. "We don't have to hash through another (voter initiative) campaign."

While fluoridation has historically been divisive in Spokane, the same cannot be said of the scientific and public health communities, which overwhelmingly endorse the practice of supplementing drinking water with fluoride. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Dental Association and countless others all trumpet water fluoridation as an effective and efficient means to reduce tooth decay...............