Campaign Urges Latino Families To Trust Tap Water

A new campaign is working to encourage Latino families in the U.S. to embrace the benefits of tap water.

“The Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation is partnering with a community group called Westwood Unidos to get the word out,” Colorado Public Radio recently reported. The campaign aims to convey that “tap water is safe and clean.”

Patty Braun, a pediatrician and oral health specialist at Denver Health, explained that many Latino families distrust water from the tap:

Braun says "over half" of the Latino families she sees don't drink tap water. And if the kids don’t drink tap water they don’t get the fluoride in it to protect their teeth. And instead of tap water many of them gulp down sugary drinks or milk — a double whammy that can mean more cavities and weight gain.

In the doctor’s own words, per the report:

Over half of kindergartners have cavities. Latino kids are more likely to have cavities than non-Latino kids. If you're used to living in a place where you would normally not want to drink the water because it is not safe then that's what you're going to bring over to any other new setting that you live in.

Research has shown that minorities generally use bottled water more than whites. One study found that, when questioned, minority parents said they thought “bottled water was cleaner, safer, healthier, more convenient and better tasting than tap,” Time reported.

The campaign is trying to correct these misconceptions. As the new campaign puts it: “Water is good for our teeth and helps wash away the cavity-causing bacteria.”

For more stories about educational campaigns aimed at consumers, visit Water Online’s Consumer Outreach Solutions Center.