In April 1997, the Bremerton City Council approved adding fluoride to the city’s water system after a group of residents identified children’s dental health as a major issue there. Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island and many other American water providers started fluoridating their water over the previous half-century. Extensive evidence showed it reduced cavities […]
News Archive
Welcome to the Fluoride Action Network News Archive. The FAN News Archive serves as an historical repository for fluoride news stories, positive or negative. Since FAN catalogs all news stories on fluoride, our news section remains a reliable database of all published fluoride news.
Our news database is categorized by country, state/province, and industry. This collection of articles is constantly being updated with the most recent global news on fluoride-related issues and events.
Fluoride: Protecting smiles or fueling debate?
Water fluoridation is often touted as one of the great public health successes of the 20th century, celebrated for reducing dental decay and saving billions in dental costs.1 It’s widely accepted that adding fluoride to water prevents tooth decay, with studies showing around a 25% reduction in cavities among those who drink fluoridated water—a lifeline […]
Why put fluoride in the water? Scientists weigh in
Fluoridating the public water supply has been common practice for nearly 80 years in the U.S. It’s an acclaimed public health intervention that helps prevent cavities. For just as long, some have raised concerns about the practice that can veer from evidence-based to unsubstantiated conspiracy. An analysis by government researchers, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, […]
As debate over fluoride returns, Gig Harbor remains a rare city without it
In April 1997, the Bremerton City Council approved adding fluoride to the city’s water system after a group of residents identified children’s dental health as a major issue there. Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island and many other American water providers started fluoridating their water over the previous half-century. Extensive evidence showed it reduced cavities […]
NIH/NTP Study Finds Fluoride Lowers IQ + Exclusive Interviews With Ryan Cole, M.D.
A growing number of jurisdictions are ending water fluoridation — an act long overdue, many parents, scientists, pediatricians, dentists and lawmakers would argue. According to some estimates, this toxic chemical can lower the IQ of children at an exposure level of 1.5 mg/L or above. But even at lower levels, neurotoxicity risk remains. Not to […]
Should there be fluoride in Utah’s water? Proposed bill says no
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers plan to debate a bill about fluoride in our water in the upcoming legislative session. Right now, only two counties in Utah add fluoride to the water: Salt Lake County and Davis County. However, HB 81 would prevent adding fluoride to any public water system, and keep local governments […]
Does water fluoridation cause childhood IQ loss?
New research found ‘significant inverse associations’ between fluoride exposure and children’s IQ scores, calling the safety of water fluoridation into question. The study estimates that for every 1mg/L increase in urinary fluoride, a child’s IQ decreases by 1.63 points. Lead author Kyla Taylor said this is a ‘statistically significant association’ between fluoride exposure and lowered […]
Study Links High Fluoride Exposure to Lower I.Q. in Children
Water fluoridation is widely seen as one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century, credited with substantially reducing tooth decay. But there has been growing controversy among scientists about whether fluoride may be linked to lower I.Q. scores in children. A comprehensive federal analysis of scores of previous studies, published this week […]
City of Aberdeen discontinues fluoridation of water supply
The city of Aberdeen issued a “community alert” Monday at 4 p.m. on their official website stating: “Added Fluoride removed from City Water. Effective Jan.6, 2025 — Per Ordinance 6721, Passed by the City Council on Dec. 11, 2024, fluoride is no longer being added to the City water system.” This cessation of fluoridation will […]
Can fluoride affect IQ? Study points to risks but raises questions
In a recent review article in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers systematically analyzed epidemiological studies that investigated the relationship between exposure to fluoride in the prenatal or postnatal period and children’s intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Existing research appears to indicate that fluoride exposure in urine and drinking water is inversely associated with children’s IQ scores and suggests […]