WASHINGTON — Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday casually lent help to the false declare that fluoride in consuming water could also be harming kids, echoing the identical wholly unscientific nonsense that Health and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is utilizing to justify his efforts to take fluoride out of consuming water nationwide.
“From what I’ve read and from what I understand, it deserves real evaluation,” Johnson advised reporters at a Capitol Hill press briefing. “There’s a concern that it may be having a negative effect on the health of children.”
He conceded he doesn’t know a lot about this topic, however went on to say, “Obviously, we have an obligation at the federal government level to look into that.”
“I don’t have the answers,” Johnson continued. “But I think it’s one that the question has been begged and it needs to be addressed.”
The Louisiana Republican’s feedback come a day after Kennedy mentioned he plans to direct the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention to cease recommending that communities put fluoride of their consuming water. He additionally plans to arrange a job pressure to look at the difficulty.
Besides none of this aligns with what medical consultants say, which is that fluoride in consuming water is secure at applicable ranges and good to your well being, because it prevents cavities, tooth decay and different well being issues. In truth, the addition of low ranges of fluoride to consuming water is taken into account one of many biggest public well being achievements of the final century.
“The growing distrust of credible, time-tested, evidence-based science is disheartening,” Dr. Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Affiliation, mentioned in a press release.
“The myths that fluoridated water is harmful and no longer necessary to prevent dental disease is troublesome and reminds me of fictional plots from old movies like ‘Dr. Strangelove,’” mentioned Kessler. “When government officials, like Secretary Kennedy, stand behind the commentary of misinformation and distrust peer-reviewed research, it is injurious to public health.”
Ingesting water is the first supply of fluoride for two-thirds of People. However some Republicans have determined it’s harmful, regardless of it being deemed secure and efficient for many years, and wish to take out of their water. Final month, Utah turned the primary state to ban fluoride in its public consuming water, ignoring medical consultants who’ve warned that doing this can result in medical issues that disproportionately harm low-income communities.
Kennedy, who can’t use his place to make communities cease placing fluoride in water however can direct the CDC to cease recommending it, applauded Utah for its coverage change.
“I’m very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it,” he mentioned throughout a Monday go to to Salt Lake Metropolis. “And I hope many more will.”
Kennedy, who’s infamous for spreading harmful misinformation about vaccines, is already below hearth for his response to a measles outbreak in Texas. He’s now apparently bought his sights set on attacking the advantages of fluoride, a mineral he’s known as a “dangerous neurotoxin” and related to arthritis, bone breaks, and thyroid illness.
He’s not fallacious that higher-than-recommended doses of fluoride may harm folks. However there isn’t a scientific foundation for claiming that consuming water with applicable ranges of fluoride is dangerous to kids or anybody.
As lately as December 2024, a research from the College of Queensland discovered no measurable impact on cognitive neurodevelopment or IQ scores in kids in consuming water that had ranges of fluoride akin to that in america.
The irony of Kennedy baselessly claiming that fluoridated water may harm kids is that taking fluoride out of consuming water will result in a spike in tooth decay amongst kids, mentioned Dr. Bruce Dye, chair of the Division of Neighborhood Dentistry and Inhabitants Health on the College of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
“This increase will be most noticeable in children over time, particularly among children living in or near poverty,” he mentioned. “We would also expect to see an increase in poorer dental health outcomes in many rural areas given the existing dental health challenges many rural communities already experience.”
And since eradicating fluoride from consuming water would have an effect on extra folks dwelling in or close to poverty, Dye mentioned that may doubtless result in a rise in Medicaid expenditures for weak teams ― together with kids.
“If the mission of the CDC is to provide science-based guidance to the American people that advances our health and well-being, then the existing science continues to support that adding fluoride to water at recommended levels is safe and provides important dental health benefits, especially with helping to prevent tooth decay,” mentioned Dye.
What occurred in Calgary, Canada, is take a look at case of what occurs while you take applicable ranges of fluoride out of consuming water. Town council voted to take away it from the town’s water provide in 2011, solely to reinstate it 10 years later. Why? The speed of individuals’s cavities and tooth decay “increased significantly,” in keeping with metropolis council member Gian-Carlo Carra, whereas different research in that interval confirmed the “meaningful benefits” of fluoride.
“If we want to do what is truly healthy for all Americans, policymakers need to review the relevant research with fluoridation levels similar to our country, like Australia, that demonstrate fluoride does not negatively impact IQ levels,” mentioned Kessler. “The ADA relies on evidence-based research to improve the oral health of the public and stands ready to advance gold medal standards in any future studies on water fluoridation.”
Not all Republicans on Capitol Hill are giving credibility to Kennedy’s assaults on science. Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.), who’s a doctor, mentioned Tuesday he stands with the medical neighborhood in help of getting fluoride in consuming water.
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“The American Dental Association strongly recommends fluoride. It says it will decrease cavities as much as 25% in some populations,” mentioned Cassidy. “It speaks for itself.”
When HuffPost famous that Kennedy thinks the other of what consultants assume, the Republican senator — who voted to verify Kennedy to his present submit — merely mentioned, “The people who take care of teeth strongly recommend it.”
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.
