As Americans prepare to vote, an unexpected public health issue—fluoride in tap water—has surfaced in the U.S. presidential race.
Recently, the long-standing debate over fluoride in tap water may have gained traction as a possible policy stance for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. On Saturday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Trump’s administration would advise removing fluoride from U.S. water supplies if the former president wins Tuesday’s election, according to CNN.
“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,” Kennedy, a former independent presidential candidate, wrote in a social media post.
On Oct. 7, Oral Health Group reported the American Dental Association (ADA) reaffirmed its support for “optimal levels” of fluoride in community water, echoing endorsements from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ADA’s statement came a day after a Cochrane Library review of 157 studies suggested the benefits of fluoride in water may have diminished due to the widespread use of fluoride toothpaste.
