Utah governor signs bill banning fluoride in public water

Utah GOP Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill that bans fluoride from public water in the state.

Cox signed the bill Thursday, making Utah the first state to remove fluoride from public water.

The legislation was introduced in January and it passed the state Senate in February. It won't take effect until May 7.

 Just 44 percent of people in Utah are now getting water with fluoride in it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“You would think you would see drastically different outcomes with half the state not getting it and half the state getting it," Cox said, referring to fluoride, in an interview with an ABC News affiliate. 

"I’ve talked to a lot of dentists," he continued. "We haven’t seen that. So it’s got to be a really high bar for me if we’re going to require people to be medicated by their government."

According to health studies, fluoride in water can help reduce tooth decay in adults and prevent cavities in young children. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has suggested taking fluoride out of the water due to other health concerns such as it causing arthritis.