“On January 20, the Trump White House will recommend that all U.S. water systems remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote in X. “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”

Kennedy went on to reference a decision last month in which a federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the process of strengthening fluoride regulations. The decision, he said, showed that the agency had “incorrectly approved this dangerous neurotoxin.”

Kennedy, long known as a skeptic of vaccines and other public health measures, endorsed Trump when he suspended his own presidential campaign in August. He has been presented as a possible advisor to Trump on health-related policies. an alarming prospect for critics who say his positions are dangerous.

Trump said NBC News that he has not discussed the issue with Kennedy, but that the plan “seems good to me.”

“You know, it’s possible,” he said.

Fluoride was introduced into water systems in the 1940s as a means to promote dental health. Since then, many local water suppliers have continually adjusted fluoride levels, citing its remineralizing effects on tooth enamel. In 2022, about 72 percent of the U.S. population (more than 209 million people) were served by public fluoridated water supplies. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although fluoride is a byproduct of certain industrial processes, it is a natural compound that is present in both fresh water and plants, as well as in certain foods such as tea leaves and many shellfish. It is found in most common toothpastes, as well as many brands of bottled water.

Many public health organizations and advocacy groups, including the American Dental Associationhave long advocated fluoridation of the drinking water supply. The introduction and widespread adoption of this practice has been hailed as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century by the CDC. which attributes to fluoride a documented decrease in cavities and other dental problems.

Public health officials have adjusted fluoride guidelines in the past. In 2015, the CDC recommended that water suppliers reduce fluoride levels, noting that Americans now receive fluoride from a variety of sources besides drinking water, such as toothpaste.

Fluoride has been the subject of medical concerns, many of them unfounded, since its introduction. Conspiracy theorists in the 1950s claimed that fluoridation was a communist plot to destroy American public health. a notion famously parodied in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film, “Dr. Strange love.”

More recently, critics have cited studies examining the effects of excessive levels of fluoride intake, which can cause dental fluorosisa cosmetic condition in young children that can cause the teeth to appear mottled. A more serious effect is skeletal fluorosis, which causes weaker bones and joint pain, although the condition is rare in the United States. It is much more common in parts of India and China where groundwater is naturally rich in fluoride.

A federal report released this year. linked higher 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 tidy to the EPA to further investigate the effects of fluoride on children’s intellectual development, although it acknowledged that the evidence on the levels typically added to U.S. drinking water is unclear.

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 regulations prohibit water systems from containing more than 4 milligrams of fluoride per liter.

There is little to no evidence linking community water fluoridation to other adverse health effects, such as an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, or serious neurological disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Data on regions that do not practice fluoridation are conflicting. Many developed countries do not practice water fluoridation, including most of Europe, although some countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, Have alternative processes such as fluoridated salt and fluoridated milk..

Hawaii is the only state with no fluoridation at the municipal level; — although the state ranks as one of the worst states for oral health in the nation. Other studies have suggested worsening tooth decay rates in municipalities that had fluoridation and then banned it. like Juneau, A.laska.

You can contact Camilo Fonseca at [email protected]. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on instagram @camilo_fonseca.reportes.