RFK Jr. said Trump would remove fluoride from drinking water if elected. What does it mean? – The Boston Globe

“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote on X. “Fluoride is an industrial waste linked to arthritis, bone fractures, cancer bones, loss of IQ, neurodevelopmental problems, and thyroid disease.”

Kennedy went on to talk about a decision last month in which a federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the process of strengthening fluoride regulations. He said the decision showed the agency “correctly received this dangerous neurotoxin.”

Long known as a skeptic of vaccinations and other public health measures, Kennedy supported Trump when he suspended his presidential campaign in August. He has been floated as a potential adviser to Trump on health-related policy — a frightening prospect for critics who say his position is dangerous.

Trump told NBC News that he had not discussed the matter with Kennedy, but that the plan “sounds good to me.”

“You know, it could happen,” he said.

Fluoride was introduced into water systems in the 1940s as a way to promote dental health. Since then, many local water suppliers have continually changed fluoride levels, citing its effects on tooth enamel. By 2022, about 72 percent of the American population — more than 209 million people — had public water supplied with fluoride, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although fluoride is a byproduct of some industrial processes, it is a naturally occurring compound found in fresh water and plants, as well as in other foods such as tea leaves and many seafood. It is found in common toothpastes, as well as many types of bottled water.

Many public health organizations and advocacy groups, including the American Dental Association, have long advocated fluoridation of drinking water supplies. The introduction and adoption of this method has been hailed as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century by the CDC, which credits fluoride with a reported reduction in cavities and infections. some teeth.

Public health officials have changed fluoride guidelines in the past. In 2015, the CDC recommended that water suppliers lower fluoride levels, noting that Americans are now getting fluoride from sources other than drinking water, such as toothpaste.

Fluoride has been the subject of medical controversy – much of it unfounded – since it was first introduced. Conspiracy theorists in the 1950s claimed that fluoridation was a communist plot to destroy the health of the American public – a theory most famous in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film “Dr. Strangelove .”

Recently, critics have been citing studies examining the effects of excessive fluoride intake, which can cause dental fluorosis, a condition in young children that can cause the teeth to appear stained. A more serious side effect is skeletal fluorosis, which causes weak bones and joint pain – although the condition is rare in the United States. It is most common in parts of India and China where the groundwater is naturally fluoridated.

A government report released this year tied high levels of fluoride intake — more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water — with slightly lower IQs in children. In September, a federal judge ordered the EPA to investigate the effects of fluoride on children’s cognitive development further, though he acknowledged that the evidence for the levels that are commonly added to US drinking water is not strong. clear.

As of 2015, the recommended level of fluoridation in the United States is 0.7 milligrams per liter – a level maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. EPA standards prohibit water systems from having more than 4 milligrams of fluoride per liter.

There is not much evidence linking public water fluoridation to other negative health effects, such as an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, or serious neurological problems, according to the CDC.

Despite the recognition of fluoridation since the 1940s, some areas have decided against it.

Information about areas that do not use fluoridation is mixed. Many developed countries do not use water fluoridation, including most of Europe – although some countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, have alternatives such as fluoridated salt and fluoridated milk.

Hawaii is the only state without municipal-level fluoridation; – even though the country is one of the worst for oral health in the world. Other studies have suggested worse tooth decay rates in municipalities that had fluoridation and then banned it, such as Juneau, Alaska.

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Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him to X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.