Editorial: ‘Payoff Is Real’ for Sacramento’s Fluoride Plan

Following the Sacramento City Council's decision last week to extend the city's water fluoridation program, a Sacramento Bee editorial notes that a consultant last year said "it's going to cost $2.3 million to $3.7 million for immediate repairs and replacements" and the "total cost of fluoridation -- both operations and equipment -- would be somewhere around $45 million over the next 20 years." The editorial notes, "That's a big investment, but the payoff is real," adding, "While the city can go slow on less urgent upgrades, it also should be very cautious about giving up fluoride's benefits to public health."

• "Editorial: Fluoride Is Needed in City Water, at Low Levels" (Sacramento Bee, 8/1).