Fluoride fights bubble up around Washington
Blanche Barajas and Gary Bode have very different ideas about fluoridation. She’s pro. He’s against.
As city council members in Pasco and Lynden, respectively, they fought two of seven battles in Washington in the past two years over fluoridation in public water supplies. Those fights reflect a spike in skepticism about the long-time, dental-related practice supported by health experts. Washington already is below the national average in residents served by fluoridated water.
Barajas, who left office in recent weeks after not seeking reelection, grew up in Salinas, California, where she began raising two sons.
Salinas’ water system did not have fluoride. Barajas had to stretch a small family budget to provide fluoride to protect her boys’ teeth. After moving to Pasco 20 years ago, she got heavily involved in the community, becoming a city council member in 2018 and later serving as mayor.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/06/fluoride-fights-bubble-up-around-washington/