00                  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 20                                                                   
01 Relating to support of community water fluoridation.                                                                    
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS fluoridation was listed in 1999 by the United States Centers for Disease                                
04 Control and Prevention as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the twentieth                            
05 century; and                                                                                                            
06       WHEREAS United States Surgeon General Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona stated                                    
07 that "I join previous Surgeon Generals in acknowledging the continuing public health role for                           
08 community water flouridation in enhancing the oral health of all Americans"; and                                        
09       WHEREAS fluoridation is the precise adjustment of the existing naturally occurring                              
10 fluoride level in drinking water to an optimal level that has been determined to be ideal for the                       
11 prevention of dental cavities in children and adults; and                                                               
12       WHEREAS dental decay can be largely prevented through a health routine that                                     
13 includes good oral hygiene, diet, and fluoride; and                                                                     
14       WHEREAS dental decay can lead to complications such as abscessed teeth and is                                   
15 linked to such serious health conditions as premature delivery of infants, heart disease, lung                          
16 disease, and low birth weight babies; and                                                                               

01       WHEREAS 45 percent of Alaskans do not have access to optimally fluoridated water;                               
02 and                                                                                                                     
03       WHEREAS 100 percent of Alaska cities with a population greater than 30,000 have                                 
04 access to fluoridated water; and                                                                                        
05       WHEREAS an independent study by the United States Department of Health and                                      
06 Human Services showed that Alaska Native children have three to four times more tooth                                   
07 decay than the national average; and                                                                                    
08       WHEREAS 69 recognized health and other organizations in the United States                                       
09 recognize community water fluoridation as an effective and safe method of reducing dental                               
10 caries; and                                                                                                             
11       WHEREAS dental disease leads to higher insurance premiums, higher business costs,                               
12 and lost time at work and at school; and                                                                                
13       WHEREAS Alaska is bearing the burden of higher Medicaid costs from                                              
14 nonfluoridated communities;                                                                                             
15       BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the benefits of community                                 
16 water fluoridation are recognized; and be it                                                                            
17       FURTHER RESOLVED that all new water systems incorporate engineering                                             
18 designed to allow easy incorporation of fluoridation if the community so desires; and be it                             
19       FURTHER RESOLVED that all communities in Alaska are urged to offer their                                        
20 citizens the benefits of optimally fluoridated water.