CV NEWS FEED // The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Monday it will formally review the safety of adding fluoride to public drinking water, citing new scientific studies and leadership from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Without prejudging any outcomes, when this evaluation is completed, we will have an updated foundational scientific evaluation that will inform the agency’s future steps to meet statutory obligations under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in a press release.
Zeldin credited Kennedy as playing a key role in prompting the review.
“Secretary Kennedy has long been at the forefront of this issue. His advocacy was instrumental in our decision to review fluoride exposure risks and we are committed to working alongside him, utilizing sound science as we advance our mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
The announcement comes in the wake of an August 2024 report by the National Toxicology Program, which found that high fluoride exposure may contribute to lowered IQ in children.
Currently, two-thirds of Americans—about 200 million people—receive fluoridated water as part of an initiative that began in the 1900s to reduce tooth decay.
Kennedy, a former environmental attorney, called fluoride a “dangerous neurotoxin,” linking it to a host of health issues, including thyroid disease, arthritis, and neurological conditions.
“Evidence against fluoride is overwhelming,” Kennedy said in a video circulating on social media. “We know that it causes IQ loss–profound IQ loss–and it’s dose-related… And also other neurological injuries, like ADHD.”
“Science indicates that it affects kidney health, it affects liver health, and it causes hypothyroidism, and it causes osteoarthritis. Women who are more exposed have up to 50% more hip fractures than women who are unexposed.”
The EPA’s action follows a 2024 court ruling requiring the agency to issue a regulatory response to concerns over fluoride. While the ruling did not mandate specific measures, the judge noted that a “preponderance of the evidence” showed an “unreasonable risk” associated with the mineral in drinking water.
Kennedy has also challenged the belief that fluoridated water prevents tooth decay, arguing that the benefit lies solely in topical application.
“There is no systemic advantage… The only advantage comes from topical application,” he said, pointing to brushing as a safer alternative.
Last month, Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public water systems under a law signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox. The law mandates the halt of water fluoridation by May 7.
Kennedy applauded the decision, saying he is “very, very proud of this state,” and hopes others will follow suit.
Still, the American Dental Association (ADA) pushed back, pledging to help conduct further research to support the continued use of fluoride. ADA President Brett Kessler accused Kennedy of spreading “misinformation” that is “injurious to public health.”
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