Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1628 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Health (DOH) to make fluoride supplements available to children age three and younger, free of charge.

The Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association, Hawaii Citizens for Health, and various concerned citizens submitted testimony in support of this measure. Many citizens who supported the bill felt it was a good alternative to fluoridating the community water supply.

DOH supported the intent of the measure but felt that it did not have a broad enough effect on the dental health of Hawaii's citizens. DOH also stated that DOH could not support the appropriations for this measure if it would adversely impact the DOH's priorities as set forth in the executive biennium budget.

The Women of Hawaii and concerned citizens testified in opposition to this measure feeling that, although it gave citizens a right to choose, it was still providing a toxin to young children and could endanger their health. Moreover, some citizens opposed to this measure voiced their concerns about government-subsidized dental care and liability issues with regards to fluoride ingestion.

Your Committee recognizes that the oral health of the children in the State of Hawaii is one of the worst cases in the nation and that the State needs to provide a solution to this problem.

Furthermore, your Committee understands that fluoride is instrumental in the prevention of tooth decay and that providing free fluoride supplements to children will offer the opportunity for dental caries prevention to families who could not otherwise afford it thus improving the oral health of these families.

Oral health is an ongoing process requiring fluoride supplementation until the age of sixteen to be most effective. The current proposal would not help children over the age of three. Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1628, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1628, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.