Fluoride is added to drinking water across the U.S., but residents of some states are considerably more likely to be drinking fluoridated water than others, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Fluoride in drinking water has recently become a talking point following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims before the presidential election that it poses a risk to children, something the CDC has denied.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he would consider appointing RFK Jr. to a role in his upcoming administration, which will begin on January 20, 2025. Trump told NBC News that he had not spoken to Kennedy regarding fluoride removal yet, “but it sounds OK to me. You know, it’s possible.”
Numerous states across the U.S. have more than 90 percent of their population with access to fluoridated water. According to the CDC, Kentucky has the highest rate of a population getting fluoridated water, at 99.73 percent or 3,922,812 people. Other states with many residents getting fluoridated water include Minnesota (98.74 percent), Illinois (98.21 percent), North Dakota (96.45 percent) and Georgia (95.07 percent).
Other states have comparatively low rates. Of those states that submit data to the CDC, Idaho (34.37 percent) has the lowest percentage of its population served by suppliers of fluoridated water. Other low-ranking states with less than 50 percent of the population getting fluoride include Louisiana (37.87 percent) and Utah (43.55 percent).
The Argument Over Fluoride in Drinking Water
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in the environment and is released from rocks into soil and water. It has been added to drinking water and toothpaste for decades because it strengthens teeth and prevents cavities. The CDC hails its addition to drinking water, which began in 1945, as one of the top 10 public-health achievements of the 20th century.
But this isn’t what Kennedy believes. Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on November 2, he said: “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.”
The CDC said: “Expert panels consisting of scientists from the United States and other countries, with expertise in various health and scientific disciplines, have considered the available evidence in peer-reviewed literature and have not found convincing scientific evidence linking community water fluoridation with any potential adverse health effect or systemic disorder such as an increased risk for cancer, Down syndrome, heart disease, osteoporosis and bone fracture, immune disorders, low intelligence, renal disorders, Alzheimer [sic] disease, or allergic reactions.”
Kennedy’s post on X followed a ruling in September by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen that directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement measures aimed at mitigating the potential for fluoride to decrease children’s IQ.
In August, the National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released a report that stated “with moderate confidence” there is a connection between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children.
While Chen’s ruling did not define a specific threshold for harmful fluoride exposure, it said that current levels in U.S. water pose an unreasonable risk.
The EPA’s maximum contaminant level goal and enforceable maximum contaminant level for fluoride are 4 mg per liter, with a secondary maximum contaminant level, which is non-enforceable is set at 2 mg per liter, a spokesperson for the government agency told Newsweek.
Regarding the ruling, they said: “While the decision finds a risk sufficient to trigger regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act, it is important to note that the court does not ‘conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,’ and defers to EPA’s expertise as to how to evaluate and regulate fluoride appropriately moving forward.
“The agency, in coordination with the Department of Justice, will consider all options going forward to determine next steps.”
Original article online at: https://www.newsweek.com/map-states-fluoridated-water-1983782