Last Saturday, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. relaunched another science provocation by claiming that a possible second Trump administration would advise removing fluoride from the country’s water supply.
RFK Jr.’s statement reads, “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
The fluoride discussion has been going on since the 1950s, and it was during those years that federal officials endorsed fluoridation of water to combat tooth decay, and support continued even after fluoride toothpastes were introduced. Although fluoride comes from various sources, drinking water remains the main source for Americans.
Most recently in 2015, officials lowered recommended fluoride levels in drinking water to reduce cases of fluorosis, a condition that causes tooth discoloration and has been increasingly observed in U.S. children.
In August, a federal agency linked, with “moderate confidence,” increased fluoride exposure to lower IQ in children. The National Toxicology Program findings were based on studies with fluoride levels about twice the recommended limit. Citing this research, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen instructed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better regulate fluoride, noting that the standard level of fluoride may not permanently lower IQ, but poses an unreasonable risk. Judge Chen ordered the EPA to take steps to reduce this risk, without specifying the required actions.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), fluoride reinforces teeth and reduces tooth decay by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has been long regarded as one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
On this particular issue, Trump said that he had not spoken to Kennedy about fluoride yet; last Sunday on NBC News stated, “It sounds OK to me, You know it’s possible.”
Previously, Donald Trump had already stated that Kennedy might join his cabinet and manage a health portfolio if he is elected president.
Moreover, just last week at a campaign rally in upstate New York, the tycoon claimed that he would let Kennedy “run wild on health care,” “run wild on food,” and “run wild on drugs.” At another rally, this time in Michigan, Trump had stated that Kennedy would have “a major role within health care” and that he has “several points of view that I agree with.”
