PORTLAND -- Amid shouts of protest, the Portland City Council voted unanimously Wednesday, in favor of adding fluoride to drinking water to fight tooth decay.
The chambers were packed for the controversial vote. Some protesters in the crowd started chanting and waving anti-fluoride signs. Others yelled and cursed, and were escorted out of the public meeting.
Mayor Sam Adams struck his gavel and asked for people to quiet down before the vote started.
The newly passed ordinance calls for Portland's water to be fluoridated by March 2014 at a projected upfront cost of $5 million.
Portland is the largest U.S. city without fluoridation. Medical experts say it's a safe and effective way to keep teeth healthy.
Wednesday's vote was preceded by several protest rallies in Portland over the past year. Opponents have argued that fluoride is an industrial byproduct that contains arsenic, lead and mercury, which can lead to neurological and potentially other health problems.
More: Opponents hold anti-fluoride rallies
Portland Mayor Sam Adams announced his support for the plan long before the council vote. He has said there is a dental “crisis” among Oregon children, compared to neighboring states and cities that use fluoride in their water. He previously explained his stance in-depth, through a letter posted online.
Letter: Mayor explains support for fluoride
The mayor and commissioners have also previously cited a Centers for Disease Control 2011 study that attributed $38 in dental treatment savings for every $1 spent on fluoridation.
Voters in Portland twice rejected fluoridation before approving it in 1978. But that plan was ovderturned before any fluoride was ever added to the water.
(KGW reporter Collette Wieland contributed to this report via Twitter.)
