Summary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he will direct the CDC to stop recommending fluoridated drinking water and form a taskforce to review health concerns.
His announcement follows Utah’s statewide ban on fluoride, the first in the U.S., despite warnings from dental and health organizations.
Kennedy praised Utah’s move and labeled fluoride a “dangerous neurotoxin.” The EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, is reviewing new data on fluoride’s health risks.
Critics argue the effort is politically driven and will harm low-income communities by increasing cavity rates.
Because it’s easy. We enrich lots of stuff for public health. Breakfast cereals have tons of extra nutrients, vitamin d is put in milk, white rice and flour are supplemented to offset the loss compared to whole-grain. It’s mostly done in response to lots of children in poverty getting sick.
Ah, but one is able to avoid those types of cereals and milks rather easily. If you live in a city with a florinated water supply, I suppose you could buy only bottled water, but that’s significantly harder than avoiding the other product classes.
But there’s no reason to avoid them. Flouride in water is safe at the regulated levels and has a measurable impact on dental health, just like enriched milk safely reduced the incidence of rickets in children. If you need pure water you can buy distilled gallons but clean, healthful tap water is a modern marvel.