Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham confirmed a second measles case in the state and voiced support for a ban on the use of fluoride in public drinking water, during a wide-ranging press conference on Monday.
Abraham also said he’s working with Republican Sen. Michael Fesi on a bill to ban the fluoridation of all public water systems across the state. Fluoride in water has been proven to prevent tooth decay, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to re-evaluate the conclusions it’s made on the benefits and safety of fluoridation, and he has made false claims about its risks.
“We have made recommendations. It’s a work in progress,” Abraham said of SB 2.
“It’s truly a work in progress, but we will see something come out in the bill that is different than what is going on, or what is happening now.”
Louisiana law currently requires the health department to set fluoridation levels. Abraham said Kennedy’s call to review the data on water fluoridation was “a good thing.”
When asked why he supported the bill given the broad scientific and public health support for fluoride in water, Abraham said, “We have to keep an open mind.”
Original article online at: https://www.wwno.org/public-health/2025-04-21/ldh-confirms-second-measles-case-backs-ban-on-water-fluoridation-in-wide-ranging-press-conference