44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - 2nd special session, 2000

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO STUDY THE MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES IN NEW MEXICO TO DETERMINE THE LEVELS OF FLUORIDE FOR EFFECTIVE DENTAL DECAY PREVENTION.

WHEREAS, the fluoridation of water has proven to be one of the greatest health prevention measures to be introduced in the twentieth century; and

WHEREAS, water fluoridation has been the basis for the primary prevention of dental decay for fifty-five years; and

WHEREAS, water fluoridation helps to lower the cost of dental care; and

WHEREAS, a minimum of seventy-five percent of the municipal water systems delivering fluoridated water is needed to meet national oral health objectives; and

WHEREAS, sixty-five percent of New Mexico's municipal water supply is delivering the benefits of fluoridated water; and

WHEREAS, twenty-one states other than New Mexico meet the national oral health objective of seventy-five percent or higher; and of those twenty-one states fourteen are at ninety percent or higher, and four states are at one hundred percent; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico should also have one hundred percent optimum fluoride in its public water supplies;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of health, with the cooperation of the department of environment, be requested to study the municipal water supplies in New Mexico to determine which municipal water supplies have optimum levels of fluoridation and make recommendations regarding issues of fluoridation, including the following:

A. the costs and resources required to fluoridate municipal water systems serving over two thousand five hundred people;

B. the costs and resources required to fluoridate municipal water systems serving fewer than two thousand five hundred people;

C. legislatively mandating fluoridation for municipal water;

D. the need for establishment of a statewide dental health fluoride advisory committee; and

E. determination of the barriers to optimum fluoridation of municipal water supplies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of health, with the cooperation of the department of environment, be requested to review the literature and compile the most current information concerning sub-optimum, optimum and excessive fluoride levels in drinking water; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of health, with the cooperation of the department of environment, be requested to review current fluoridation initiatives in small population, surrounding and rural states and compile a report; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of health, with the cooperation of the department of environment, be requested to review current fluoridation initiatives of the Indian health service and compile a report; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of health, with the cooperation of the department of environment, be requested to report its findings by November 1, 2000 to the appropriate legislative interim committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the chairman of the appropriate legislative interim committee and the secretaries of health and environment.