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Group works with Latinos to drink more tap water

Posted at 9:30 PM, Apr 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-01 23:30:49-04

Two Denver groups have joined forces to convince Latinos living in Colorado that tap water is safe and worth drinking.

Delta Dental of Colorado along with Westwood Unidosare holding community sessions to work with Latino families in the area that may hold a stigma toward tap water.

“I used to boil my water before drinking it,” said Gabriela Medina, who moved to Colorado from Mexico more than a decade ago.

She now works for Westwood Unidos and isn’t afraid to drink straight from the tap.

She was convinced by her children’s dentist that tap water was okay, in fact, that the fluoride in the water could help prevent cavities.

“It helps rinse your mouth of all that sugar,” said Wyatt Hornsby, who heads Delta Dental’s “Cavities get around” campaign.

The push for Latino families to drink more tap water follows state studies which show low-income Hispanic children are the most vulnerable for tooth decay.

The campaign urges families to drink more water and keep to only one juice per day.

Medina said the shift in mentality hasn’t just changed her life, but her children’s as well, who she says haven’t had a single cavity.

“Seeing people’s faces when they finally realize this information or take this information into account,” she said, “it has a huge impact.”

Westwood Unidos will hold their next forum April 13 at Knapp Elementary in Denver from 3:30-4:30 pm. 

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