A review of the possible health concerns linked to fluoride in drinking water has been announced by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The statement was made Monday in Salt Lake City by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has asserted that fluoride is linked to a number of illnesses, including cancer.
“This renewed scientific evaluation is an essential step that will inform agency decisions on the standard for fluoride under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” the EPA said in a statement. “This action aligns closely with EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while working cooperatively with our federal, state and local partners to ensure all Americans can rely on clean and safe water.”
In an effort to prevent tooth decay, American cities have been fluoridating their drinking water for decades. Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the first to do so in 1945.
But in the US, the practice has come under fire. Last month, Utah became the first state to outlaw fluoridating drinking water, and six other states are considering doing the same.
Following President Donald Trump’s election, the Health and Human Services agency was expected to examine fluoride use in drinking water nationwide more closely because the New York real estate tycoon appointed Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and well-known opponent of vaccinations, to head the agency.
Speaking on X in November, Kennedy referred to fluoride as “an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
To reassure the public, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated Monday that the agency will not make any assumptions about the review’s findings, which will guide the agency’s next actions.
“Secretary Kennedy has long been at the forefront of this issue,” he said. “His advocacy was instrumental in our decision to review fluoride exposure risks, and we are committed to working alongside him, utilizing sound science as we advance our decision to review fluoride exposure risks and we are committed to working alongside him, utilizing sound science as we advance our mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
The Republican governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, signed House Bill 81 into law late last month, disappointing the American Dental Association, which has advocated for fluoridating drinking water, by ending “one of the most equitable, trusted and tested public health strategies in the arsenal of preventive medicine.”
“The most common chronic childhood disease is cavities. We know that when community water fluoridation stops, it’s the children and the most vulnerable of our communities who suffer,” ADA President Brett Kessler stated.
“We urge legislators and voters across the country not to make Utah’s significant mistake, and, instead, to trust credible data and science, which shows that optimally fluoridating community water is safe, effective ahd helps prevent dental disease.”
This information has been sourced from UPI.
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