Ohio
Ohio GOP wants to stop adding fluoride, which prevents tooth decay, to water
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group of Ohio Republican lawmakers is moving to ban the state and public water systems from adding fluoride, which prevents tooth decay and cavities, to water.
The Buckeye State is known for its water — and the benefits that dentist Dr. Matthew Messina sees from it.
“We’ve had that kind of a profound increase in public health that comes from modern dentistry and fluoride is a part of that,” Messina said.
Naturally occurring in water, fluoride is a mineral that years of research has shown strengthens teeth and prevents cavities and tooth decay. As the four-decade-long serving dentist explains, most public water systems add fluoride.
“It’s hailed as one of the top public health measures in the last century, because really, for a very low cost and very low amount of effort, the massive benefit that this produces for the community is tremendous,” he said.
He has worked in communities that didn’t have fluoride, he said, and the difference between children from cities and ones from rural areas that didn’t have public water fluoridation was night and day.
“We got a chance to see rampant dental decay in children,” he said. “It was like going back to the dark ages, so I really hope we’d never go back there again.”
There has always been a back-and-forth for decades on fluoride, much like vaccines. In recent years, there has been a campaign to push back on the mineral in water.
Although U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not a doctor, he has argued that the mineral is toxic.
“Fluoride is an industrial waste,” he wrote on X.
The effort has trickled down to Ohio.
State Rep. Levi Dean (R-Xenia) has proposed House Bill 182, which would ban public water systems from adding fluoride.
“It just says that individuals can then choose whether they want to ingest it or not — it’s not forced on them,” Dean told me.
Current law requires water systems to fluoridate water if the natural content is less than .8 milligrams per liter.
“It’s just for some people for health reasons or just even for individual freedom reasons, they don’t want the local governments to force this into their drinking water,” he said.
Dean and his GOP cosponsors want to prohibit this requirement. He argued that fluoride is bad for you. I asked him where he got this idea from since dozens upon dozens of research papers for decades disagree.
He cited a recent research study sharing that fluoride may be linked to lower IQ in children.
A study published by JAMA Pediatrics in January did a review and meta-analysis of whether exposure to fluoride was associated with kids’ IQ scores.
The authors found that there is a link between slightly lower IQ in children that have more exposure to the mineral.
But Messina explained that this research article is being taken out of context.
“It brings up a study of parts of the world where naturally occurring fluoride levels are much higher than in most of the United States, and they’re higher than the target levels that we have set,” the dentist said.
Looking into the paper, the authors acknowledged that a majority of the studies they looked at were considered “highly biased,” none of the data is from the United States, and that there was “uncertainty in the dose-response association.”
When the fluoride in the water was less than 1.5 mg/L, the link wasn’t apparent. As mentioned, Ohio has a cap of .8 mg/L.
“Now, there’s disagreement on the concentration of where that starts and how, but that’s why I think it should be up to the individual to choose what levels they engage with fluoride at,” Dean said.
The lawmaker argued that if people really want fluoride, they can buy toothpaste, tablets, or drops.
“I’m not arguing with the fact that it could be beneficial to some people for dental health,” he said. “I’m arguing with the fact that should we be ingesting it, if the benefit is for your teeth, shouldn’t you be applying it just to the teeth and not consuming it?”
Toothpaste has significantly more fluoride than water does, which is why you are told to spit it out, according to the CDC.
The Republican continued that this is about Ohioans having a choice — just like he does, as he uses fluoride-free toothpaste.
“What kind of concerns do you have with Ohio considering to remove fluoride from all public water?” I asked Messina.
“Well, if Ohio did that, we would be stepping back in time,” he responded. “We have a known beneficial, preventative part of our tool kit, and for us to continue to go forward without that — we’re really leaving one of our best weapons behind.”
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) seemed interested in the proposal because when asked if the state should keep fluoride in public water, he acknowledged that he “didn’t know.”
“Fluoride naturally occurs in water, I just found that out this week,” he said. “They started adding it.”
He said that people over the past few years have been “dismissed.”
“Now there appears to be some science that says too much fluoride, including adding fluoride, is bad for folks,” he said. “I’m not a scientist, I’m not a chemist… We’re going to sort of litigate that question… in the legislature here over the next couple of months. I don’t know the answer to your question.”
House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), whose background is in public health, was not thrilled to hear about the bill.
“I entirely support fluoride in water,” she said, noting that the benefits are clear in dental health.
I asked her if she saw this as an effort to privatize water.
“I see this as a basic human right,” she continued. “I think the expectation of every household in this country is that you have access to clean tap water in your households.”
Gov. Mike DeWine, who is routinely against non-doctors making health decisions, is not commenting on this bill yet.
Knowing the governor, this would not be out of the realm of a possible veto. He consistently states that he supports science, vaccines, best practices of doctors in gender-affirming care, prevention of tobacco for kids and the stopping of medical misinformation.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio health leaders are urging people to take extra precautions when handling produce as cases of a parasitic illness causing “explosive diarrhea” are rising in the state.
There are nearly 200 cases of cyclosporiasis in Ohio, with more than 20 in Franklin County. The state sits only behind Michigan, where cases have topped a thousand.
Franklin County Medical Director Miller Sullivan said cases typically rise each summer because the parasite thrives in heat.
“If the water becomes contaminated with this organism, that’s how it gets into the food supply,” Sullivan said.
Officials have not identified the exact source of this outbreak, which is hitting states nationwide, but said the parasite is most commonly found in produce. They said simple steps when handling food can help prevent getting sick.
To help prevent the illness, Ohio Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables under running water and wash your hands with soap before and after preparing food.
“Prepare your food properly,” Vanderhoff said. “If you do that, you’re going to dramatically reduce the likelihood that you might acquire this infection.”
Health officials don’t think it’s necessary to avoid fresh produce.
“Go ahead and buy them,” Sullivan said. “Especially if you buy them from a store or a local farmer’s market. It should be fine, but wash them well.”
The disease is typically not life-threatening but can cause watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea. If left untreated, symptoms could return multiple times.
“You may begin to feel better, but then start getting sick again,” Vanderhoff said. “That’s really characteristic of this particular infection.”
Experts said to see a doctor as soon as you think you may be experiencing symptoms. It can be treated with antibiotics, which helps shorten the length of the illness, but added that prevention is the best way to stay healthy.
Where do bed bugs come from? How they get could get into your home
Does the thought of bed bugs keep you up at night? Here’s what to know.
Columbus remains one of the nation’s top cities for bed bug treatments, according to Orkin’s latest annual rankings, while Ohio continues to dominate the list more than any other state.
Orkin ranked Columbus eighth on its 2026 list of U.S. cities with the most bed bug treatments, the same position the city held last year. Cleveland ranked even higher at No. 4. Cincinnati came in at No. 15.
Overall, six Ohio cities made the Top 50, more than any other state: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Dayton and Toledo. The rankings are based on residential and commercial bed bug treatments Orkin performed between May 2025 and May 2026.
Chicago claimed the top spot for the sixth consecutive year, followed by Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis.
Ohio continues to rank high for bed bugs
Ohio’s strong showing on the list comes as the state has repeatedly appeared near the top of national pest rankings.
A recent USA TODAY report, citing an analysis by Casino.ca, estimated Ohio has the second-highest bed bug risk for travelers in the country, behind only Michigan.
The Orkin rankings do not measure the total number of bed bugs in a city. Instead, they reflect where the company performed the greatest number of residential and commercial treatments over the past year.
Columbus has dealt with bed bug sightings before
The rankings also follow several high-profile bed bug incidents in downtown Columbus government offices.
Last fall, The Dispatch reported a bed bug was discovered inside the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s downtown office, prompting treatment of the affected area.
The Dispatch also reported that employees at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation had reported bed bug sightings, leading to inspections and pest-control efforts.
Those incidents highlighted the challenges large office buildings face when dealing with pests that can hitch rides on clothing, backpacks and luggage rather than originating inside the buildings themselves.
It’s not just bed bugs
Bed bugs aren’t the only pests putting Columbus on Orkin’s radar.
In October 2025, Orkin ranked Columbus No. 21 on its annual “Rattiest Cities” list, a slight improvement from previous years but still among the nation’s leading metro areas for rodent treatments.
Taken together, the rankings suggest central Ohio remains a busy market for pest-control companies as the city holds steady on this year’s bed bug list.
Which Ohio cities made Orkin’s 2026 list?
Among Ohio cities, the rankings were:
- Cleveland– No. 4
- Columbus– No. 8
- Cincinnati– No. 15
- Youngstown– No. 32
- Dayton– No. 38
- Toledo– No. 42
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
After years of unchecked dominance from the SEC, the Big Ten Conference cemented its place as the best in college football in the 2025-2026 season.
The Indiana Hoosiers completed a remarkable 16-0 season by winning a National Championship, beating Ohio State in the conference championship game, dominating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, then blowing out Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
That completed a Big Ten trifecta, with the Michigan Wolverines winning a championship in 2024, then the Buckeyes following it up by beating Notre Dame to win the title in 2025. While the SEC might have better depth overall, it’s no question that the top of the Big Ten is as good or better than anyone.
SEC, BIG TEN ARE DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL THANKS TO MASSIVE ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CONFERENCES
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
And a new program might be ready to take their turn at the top of the Big Ten: those same Oregon Ducks.
One of the most predictive measures of a team’s strength from year to year is how much production they return from the previous season. It makes sense; the more key players that stay with the team, the better it is for continuity and development.
The Big Ten, oddly enough, has several teams that return much of their production on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Bill Connelly ran the numbers, finding that teams like Maryland, Nebraska, Minnesota and UCLA all ranked in the top 10 nationally in returning value. Though given how these teams played in 2025, that’s less important. Number 12, though? The Oregon Ducks.
And that carryover production is coming from a team that lost just two games all season, both to Indiana. They handled a very good USC team, 42-27, overcame miserable conditions to outlast the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road, beat the rival Washington Huskies, and most impressively, shut out an elite Texas Tech team 23-0 in the College Football Playoff. And they bring back the players responsible for 66% of their overall production, including star quarterback Dante Moore.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up prior to the 2025 Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Just behind them at 65%? USC, heading into a pivotal season under Lincoln Riley.
Here’s where Oregon has the advantage, however. They bring that percentage back from a team that was significantly better than USC. It’s no surprise then, that per Connelly’s SP+ projections, Oregon is expected to be the No. 2 team in the country, by efficiency on offense, defense and special teams.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BIG 12 WINNER NOT NAMED TEXAS TECH OR BYU, CONSIDER THE HOUSTON COUGARS
What about the other Big Ten schools, though?
USC is the biggest wildcard. They sit at No. 13 in the SP+ projections, thanks to an elite offense and a defense that’s expected to be solid, if unspectacular. But their special teams projections are all the way down at No. 100 in the country, thanks to a series of disastrous mistakes in 2025. Special teams, though, should be the easiest area to improve upon. So if the Trojans can make some adjustments, they could exceed the eight game win expectancy.
Ohio State and Indiana, the two most recent champions, have a bit of a tougher hill to climb, though their roster composition is far from disastrous. The Buckeyes bring back 60% of their production, while Indiana is at 56%, even with several huge departures. That ranks at No. 31 and No. 52, respectively. Important, but not enough to push either team out of the top 5 in the national projections. And Ohio State sits at No. 1, thanks to consistently elite recruiting and key players like Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith returning.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
But if there is an upset brewing at the top of the conference, Oregon might be the place to look. The question then becomes, can they put it all together against a difficult schedule? The Ducks play USC on the road, host Nebraska, travel to Illinois, play Ohio State on the road, host Michigan and have their rivalry game against Washington at Autzen.
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It won’t be easy, but don’t be surprised if at the end of the season, Dan Lanning and the Ducks are right back in the mix.
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