Advocating for Change

In a 2020 email to Deputy Surgeon General Erica Schwartz, the U.S. Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, Rear Admiral Tim Ricks said,

“There is a significant anti-fluoride movement going on in this country right now, more organized than ever before.”

He’s right, and it’s being led by people just like you at the local and state levels.

How To Start a Local Campaign

Citizen activists are the cornerstone of the campaign for fluoride-free drinking water. In fact, since 2010 more than 1,500 communities across North America have voted to end their fluoridation programs, largely due to small groups of citizens working with the Fluoride Action Network or using our resources to organize local campaigns to educate their neighbors and decision-makers about the serious health risks associated with the practice. Hundreds of additional communities took a stand and rejected dental-lobby proposals to start fluoridation. All these battles started with either a lone champion or just a handful of coordinated citizens who used education, advocacy, and activism to protect their drinking water. Read about many of these successful battles.


Local referendum and advocacy campaigns give ordinary citizens the opportunity to address important public health issues right in their own communities, and in the process, usually increase statewide and national awareness of the issue through news coverage. In removing fluoride, successful local campaigns also help build nationwide momentum for an end to fluoridation. As the old saying goes: “Think Globally -- Act Locally.”


There are some great examples of local campaigns helping build momentum for further policy change. In October of 2010, a group of citizen activists in the Canadian city of Waterloo, Ontario created a group called Waterloo Watch. They were successful in getting a referendum question on the municipal ballot asking citizens if they wanted to continue fluoridation. Through constant media contact, letters-to-editors, door-to-door canvassing, and nonstop education of the public and local decision-makers, Waterloo Watch was successful in securing a majority of the vote opposing fluoridation.Following the campaign in Waterloo, campaigns to remove fluoride gained traction throughout Canada, particularly in Calgary, Alberta, where just 4 months later the city council voted 10-3 to stop adding fluoride to the drinking water for more than a million citizens. And the momentum created by the Calgary victory has resulted in dozens of Canadian communities debating whether to continue fluoridation in recent years.


Another example would be a citizen run campaign effort in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 2014 that led to fluoridation cessation for nearly 400,000 residents, but more importantly, it helped influence many more successful fluoridation-ending campaigns in Pennsylvania. So far, this domino-effect includes communities like Catasauqua, State College, Shiloh, Upper Allen Township, Mechanicsburg, Montrose, Bridgwater, Quarryville, Cambria County, Patton, Guilford, Greene, Bellefonte, and many more.


So how can you start your own campaign?

1. Educate Yourself

Check to see if your community water is actually fluoridated. There are a few ways to do this.
1. Use the CDC’s Water System Database.
2. Google your town’s name followed by the words “water quality report.” All public water systems must publish annual testing results that include fluoride     levels since it’s classified as a contaminant by the EPA.
3. Call your water provider and ask.


Once you’ve confirmed that you’re drinking fluoridated water and choose to move forward with a plan of action, please first make sure to join the movement so that you have the most up-to-date information. Also, visit FAN’s World Wide Alliance list to see if there is an existing campaign in your area.  Learn the basics about fluoridation, the arguments in opposition to it, and ways to refute claims made by proponents. Take some days to explore our website, watch our videos, and look through our campaign toolkit.


The next step is to start gathering information. First, visit FAN’s State Database to learn about your state’s laws regarding fluoridation, particularly who has jurisdiction over the practice, if it is mandated at the state or county level (see our page on mandates), and what the procedure is for ending the practice locally. Not all states have clear laws, so in the absence of clarity use the news and victories sections of our State Database to see if other communities in your state have ended fluoridation and read about how that occurred. 


If fluoridation is not mandated in your state, and instead local action is required, it will be helpful to know the following:
1. When fluoridation started in your community.
2. How it was started (referendum vote or decision by a government body).
3. Who has decision-making authority over fluoridation (water authority, water director, health board, city council, voters, or a combination).
4. The approximate population served by the water system.
5. Other water systems or abutting communities that are served by your water system.
6. The chemicals being used (liquid fluorosilicic acid or powered sodium fluorosilicate).
7. The cost of fluoridation chemicals annually, plus the cost of the injection equipment and infrastructure if upgrades will soon be needed.
8. The information on the certificate of analysis that is required by law to accompany fluoride additive shipments to water systems. This document lists     warnings and contaminants. If asked, water operators will often share this with the inquiring public. 


Much of this information can be found searching the FAN news archive, searching the internet, and by contacting your water system and asking employees either via email or by phone. 


It’s helpful to read the fluoride news from your state.  Local news stories can often provide you with names of contacts and allies, information about your opposition, examples of successful campaigns in your area, and an idea of how your local media has covered the issue. 

2. Create a Strategy

If you live in a state with a statewide or county fluoridation mandate, then the only way to truly end fluoridation locally is to pass legislation at the state or county level.  However, there are actions that can be taken at the local level even in mandated communities that may offer a short-term fix or at least generate momentum for future action at the state level.  These include working to pass a requirement for infant fluoride warnings on water bills, working to pass a non--binding resolution urging the state/county to repeal their mandate, or working to pass a local moratorium on fluoridation until some health, environmental, funding, or safety standard is met.


If you don’t live in a mandate state, then there are generally three ways to end fluoridation:
1. Governing body: a city council / water authority / health board / county commission vote 2. Ballot or voice vote: a voter referendum or town meeting vote 3. Unilateral decision: operator of private water company, mayor, water supervisor, or health director

Sometimes communities have multiple options, for instance a decision can be made by the city council, but the option is also available for a citizen ballot initiative that can override a council vote. Make sure to note each option you are given, this way you can start with the easiest (e.g. a unilateral decision by a mayor or water works director) then if that fails, act on the second easiest option (city council or governing body), and finally if that fails move to the next option (petition collection for a ballot referendum).  Some campaigns have had success on the first try with little organizing needed, so start there, but know all of your back-up options. Also keep in mind that referendum votes require the greatest effort and resources, and that it will require fundraising to effectively educate the public prior to a vote.


Learn the process for the strategy you choose. Visit and observe your city council or water authority in action at their regular meetings. Watch the process for public comment and learn how to get in touch with your elected officials and their staff. Talk with your own elected official or their staff about the process to introduce a resolution. Governing bodies also have rules they follow. Look up those rules or bylaws to answer many of your procedural questions.


Plan a timeline for your campaign. Make sure you know when, and how often, the water board or town council meets and how long it typically takes for a resolution to get approval. In bigger cities, it may take months for a resolution to become law.  Also, make sure you know if there are any deadlines for submitting resolutions, for submitting testimony, and for signing up to speak when you do get a public hearing.


If a referendum is your only choice for policy change, then start by learning the requirements for getting your question on the ballot. Your local Town Clerk can generally provide you with all of the requirements for putting together an official ballot petition.  These rules are important and dictate how many signatures you’ll need, the information required from each petition signer, the deadline for submission of your petition, the language required on the petition, and when the vote is allowed to occur (during a special, municipal, state, or national election). If the referendum process doesn’t specify the exact wording of the question, it’s recommended that you be as accurate as possible about the chemical used and cost to the community when coming up with the ballot wording. A good example would be: “Do you support the addition of hydrofluorosilicic acid to the public water supply at a cost of $xx,xxx annually to our community?”

3. Initiate the Campaign

Once you’ve chosen the fluoride campaign that makes sense for your community, you need to build your support. THIS PART IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND IS USUALLY THE BIGGEST INDICATOR OF FUTURE SUCCESS OR FAILURE! Don’t try to go it alone; recruit other members of your community who agree with you on fluoridation.


Identify and reach out to existing supporters. Fluoride campaigns work best when they are anchored by a coalition of groups and individuals, particularly medical and scientific experts. Who else might be interested in helping to pass the resolution?  Do an internet search for anyone else who has opposed fluoridation in your community before. You can usually find supporters in news stories about previous fluoride campaigns, or in online forums, or on social media sites opposed to fluoridation.  Meeting minutes from previous fluoridation hearings can also give you names of people who have opposed fluoridation in the past.  They may still be active and interested in joining your campaign.


What natural allies do you have in the community?  Try to find coalition partners sooner rather than later. Coalitions work best when everyone is involved in the process from the beginning.  Naturopathic doctor associations, members of the IAOMT, chiropractors, organic food producers, health food stores and their customers, environmental experts, retired water works employees, clean water organizations, environmental groups, supporters of health freedom, and scientific professionals are generally good groups to approach for support initially


Identify a town councilor you think will be supportive of your resolution. This is essential if your city council will be making the final decision. Without a councilor who will actually take ownership of the issue and champion the cause, it will be difficult to successfully pass a resolution. You can identify likely champions by investigating officials’ voting records and asking your coalition partners if they have any allies on the city council. You can also provide each councilor with information on fluoride and approach them one by one requesting their sponsorship of your resolution.


Once you find a supportive councilor, meet with him or her. Try to have people who live in the councilor’s district or ward meet with the representative. Once you arrange a meeting, try to organize as diverse a group as possible to demonstrate that your issue has community support. At the meeting, you should present the councilor(s) with sample text of a proposed resolution along with a packet of information supporting your resolution. This will make the councilor’s job easier and make them more likely to support your issue.


If you’re doing a referendum, the first step of recruiting others still remains the most important one. It’s better to start with a few friends, but in the worst case, start collecting signatures and ask those who sign if they’d be willing to volunteer to help. Start going door-to-door with your petition, providing information about your referendum, and asking citizens to clearly sign their name. Signatures, names, and addresses MUST BE EASY TO READ, or the city clerk will likely not count them.  Also, it’s a great idea to collect email addresses on the same document, so you can reach out to supporters to provide updates and ask for fundraising and organizing help when you need it.


When collecting petition signatures, it helps to keep track of houses with no one home when canvassing a neighborhood, that way you can return at a different time to try again.  Don’t forget other great petitioning locations, including outside the town dump entrance, outside city hall, in public squares, at the start and finishes of 5k road races, at other campaign or political events, at local festivals and fairs, and outside local sporting events. Any time you can take advantage of a large crowd that someone else organized (especially a crowd of local politically active adults) is a win for you. With permission, you can also usually stand outside supportive businesses like natural food stores and supermarkets.

4. Educate the Public

Start by telling your family, neighbors, co-workers, and friends know about your campaign.  Ask your doctor, dentist, and any other scientific or medical professionals you know to sign our Professionals Statement. Download our Professionals Statement on fluoride here, print it out, and ask your doctor to sign it the next time you have an appointment.


Start a Facebook page, create a free email account on Gmail so people can reach you, and/or create a website using easy software like Wix or Squarespace. The goal here is to have a location where interested supporters can find updates, learn more, and where you can contact them for help when needed.


If you’re a talk radio listener, call in and express support for reforming our fluoride laws. Even if the subject being discussed isn’t explicitly about fluoride, many related issues can be a springboard for urging reform.


Try to get the media interested. Once your resolution is introduced and scheduled for a vote, contact the media and ask them to do a story about the campaign. Resolutions give local media a way to cover larger issues through a community angle. Write letters to the editor and OpEds in support of the resolution. When there is coverage of fluoridation in the local paper, try to find the online version of the story and have supporters “comment” on the story, showing support for your resolution.  Stories that receive a lot of comments, or Letters to editors, are generally followed up with further coverage.


Host a public forum about the resolution. It’s usually a good idea to hold a community meeting or other educational event to talk to your fellow residents about your resolution. Reserve space in a public library, town hall, or social hall.  Advertise your meeting in local papers, on the internet (with a facebook group), and with posters around town.  Organize a screening of the Fluoride Action Network’s “Our Daily Dose” film.  Host several key speakers opposing fluoridation, if you can, and invite city councilors, their staff, and members of the media to attend.


Don’t forget to bring information packets to hand out to any members of the public or media who attend.  Also, make sure to have a sign-up sheet to collect names, telephone numbers, and email addresses so you can alert these new supporters about upcoming campaign events and council action.


Canvass neighborhoods. Just because your resolution isn’t a referendum doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go door-to-door looking for support. Write a petition supporting your resolution and have locals sign it in support.  This is a great way to educate the public and find local supporters, but if you also collect the address of each signer, you can later send a copy of the petition to city councilors highlighting the signers from their district, making the issue more personal for them.

5. Build Momentum

Keep in contact with local decision-makers. “Lobbying” is just another word for letting your elected officials know how you feel about an isue. Communicating with your councilor is a right, not a privilege. You should make sure all of the representatives on the city council have a packet of information about your resolution. Try to get constituents from different districts to arrange meetings with their representatives to show support for the resolution.  Remember those petition signers?  Now is the time to contact them and urge them to call or meet with their city councilor.


Increase your base of support. As the date of the vote approaches, make sure you are working with residents across the city and asking them to call or write their representatives in support of the resolution.  Organize a community-wide “call-in” day during which people from every neighborhood will call their representatives in support of the resolution. If a particular representative is opposed to the resolution, do targeted outreach in that neighborhood (canvassing).  You can also use free online petitions like www.change.org to organize emails campaigns targeting local decision-makers. The problem with these free petitions though, is that you won’t have the contact information for the signers, so you won’t be able to update them as the campaign progresses.

Attend all meetings. In some cases, study committees or subcommittees will consider the resolution before the full city council does. Make sure you attend these meetings and present the case for ending fluoridation during the public comments section of any hearings. On the day your resolution is going to be voted on, make sure the city council chambers are filled with supporters of your resolution. Make sure to have your supporters send emails and make phone calls to the councilors prior to any official hearings to show community support.


Bring colorful and eye-catching signs to show support for the resolution. Encourage supporters to speak in favor of the resolution during the public comments section, and make sure you have people ready with prepared remarks that are science or ethics-based and double checked for accuracy. The day of the vote is your final chance to show that the community really cares about your issue.


As you’re campaigning against fluoridation, it’s important to keep in mind that community education takes time, discipline, and perseverance.  While there are plenty of exceptions, most successful campaigns take months, if not years, to pass resolutions prohibiting fluoridation. To Win, your community will first need to learn about the issue together, and eventually work together, turning your resolution into the community’s resolution. It's crucial you consider yourself a teacher and not try to force your opinions on others, but instead take the time to educate your neighbors and local decision-makers.  The TRUTH IS ON OUR SIDE, and when open-minded individuals take the time to look at the data and research, it’s evident that the practice should be prohibited.

State Action

Since 2010, the Fluoride Action Network has been taking the fight from the local city council level to the state level more often. In recent years, numerous fluoride-free bills have been introduced in Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, among others. We expect this effort to grow, and for more state legislators to call for reversing state mandates and for implementing infant warnings and outright bans on fluoridation. It's time to bring your local campaign to the state capitol.


Of course, it’s worth repeating that the momentum necessary to create policy change at the state level can only be created by the spread of local fluoride-free campaigns throughout your state. So, first join the FAN movement and work locally to end fluoridation, either with an existing group or by creating your own campaign.

1. Gather Information

To begin, follow the same initial rules for ending fluoridation locally. Visit our State Database and learn what laws your state already has on the books. Educate yourself about fluoridation and gather information about the state legislative process. You’ll want to learn the deadlines for introducing bills, the deadlines for when committees must act on bills, and if there have ever been other fluoridation-related bills introduced in your state. Visit your state legislature’s website and start doing text searches on past bills. Where do bills on fluoridation usually go in your state; to the health committee or to a different committee?


Look for potential champions in the legislature, because you’ll need one to sponsor your bill. Find legislators who have a history opposing fluoridation, or who have worked for health freedom or for safe drinking water in the past. Contact them and educate them about fluoridation. When in doubt, oftentimes a good start is your own legislator. They may not sponsor your bill, but they may know someone who will.

2. Create a Strategy

The first step in creating a state-level fluoride campaign strategy is to figure out what policy you want to implement.  If your state has a statewide fluoridation mandate, then the emphasis ought to be on ending the mandate with legislation to give local governments authority to decide whether to practice fluoridation or not.  While in an ideal world, we would like to start out by prohibiting fluoridation, in reality elected officials like to change policy in small, incremental steps.


If you live in a state that does not have a statewide mandate, or your attempts at ending the mandate fail, then there are still other options.  We suggest you try to implement either an infant warning campaign, and/or create a state-level fluoride study committee. Both bills ought to successfully inform legislators and citizens about the risks of fluoridation in a less dramatic way, which should eventually lead to future legislation ending the mandate or prohibiting fluoridation all together.  Remember, democratic governments generally resist quick, expansive change.  Don’t be afraid to make slow, incremental reforms.  They generally take longer but increase your chances of eventual success.


If you live in a state that allows statewide voter referendums, then this is another option available to you.  This option will likely cost more money, take more time, and require a lot more volunteers to implement, but if you have these three elements, then it could be the fastest and most direct way to prohibit fluoridation throughout your entire state.  If this is the route you take, go right for the jugular; introduce language prohibiting fluoridation outright, and prepare yourself for a massive education campaign that will require buying advertising, getting media coverage, and going door-to-door.


If a fluoridation referendum is your choice for policy change, then start by learning the requirements for getting your question on the ballot. Your Secretary of State can generally provide you with all of the requirements for putting together an official ballot petition.  Once you know the rules, start going door-to-door with your petition, providing information about your referendum, and asking citizens to clearly sign their name and address.  It helps to keep track of houses with no one home when canvassing a neighborhood, that way you can return at a different time to try again.  Don’t forget other great petitioning locations, including outside the town dump entrances, outside city halls, in public squares, at local festivals and fairs, and outside local sporting events.  With permission, you can usually stand outside supportive businesses like natural food stores and supermarkets.


Plan a timeline for your campaign. Make sure you know when, and how often, the legislature meets, how the legislative process works, and how long it typically takes for a bill to get signed into law.  In most cases, it may take months for a bill to become law.  Also, make sure you know if there are any deadlines for submitting bills or referendum questions, and if there are laws or rules that must be followed when collecting signatures for referendums or lobbying decision-makers.  You can generally find this information on your state legislature’s website, and by contacting your Secretary of State’s office.

3. Initiate Your Campaign

Once you’ve chosen the fluoride campaign that makes sense for your state, you need to build your support.  Identify and reach out to existing supporters. Fluoride campaigns work best when they are anchored by a coalition of groups and individuals, particularly medical and scientific experts. Who else might be interested in helping to pass the resolution?  Do an internet search for anyone else who has opposed fluoridation in your state.  You can usually find supporters in news stories about previous fluoride campaigns, or in online forums or on social media sites opposed to fluoridation.


Search past legislative records on your state legislature’s website for previous fluoridation hearings.  If bills were introduced long ago (usually more than 10 years ago), you may have to visit your state archive for these records.  They can be very good tools, and often can provide you with names of local activists, leaders, lobbyists, and groups who have opposed fluoridation in the past.  They may still be active and interested in joining your campaign.  Track them down and urge them to get involved.


What natural allies do you have in your state?  Try to find coalition partners sooner rather than later. Coalitions work best when everyone is involved in the process from the beginning.  Naturopathic doctor associations, chiropractors, organic food producers, health food stores and their customers, environmental experts, retired water works employees, clean water organizations, environmental groups and medical professionals are generally good groups to approach for support initially.  Contact their lobbyists, as well as their board members.  Ask to make a presentation at their next meeting on legislative issues.


This is obvious, but don’t forget to also locate any other local fluoride-free groups in your state.  Your campaign will be much easier if you can bring together existing campaigns from several different communities in your state.

Identify a state legislator you think will be supportive of your resolution. This is essential if your state requires bills to be introduced by legislators, rather than by both legislators and citizens.   Without a legislator who will actually take ownership of the issue and make it his or her cause, it will be difficult (if not impossible) to successfully introduce and pass a bill. You can identify likely champions by investigating officials’ voting records and asking your coalition partners if they have any allies at the state house.  Legislators who represent communities that have already taken a position against fluoridation are also great candidates for sponsors.


You can also provide every legislator with information on fluoridation, then approach them all – one by one–requesting their sponsorship of your bill.  Start with your own legislator(s), and if they are unwilling at first, request that they consider introducing the bill on behalf of a constituent.  Sometimes an official may not care about fluoridation but would be willing to introduce the bill solely because they represent you and feel obligated.


Once you find a supportive legislator, meet with him or her. Try to have people who live in the legislator’s district or ward meet with the representative. Once you arrange a meeting, try to organize as diverse a group as possible to represent your demonstrate that your issue has community support. At the meeting, you should present the legislator(s) with sample text of the proposed bill, along with a packet of information supporting your legislation. This will make the legislator’s job easier and make them more likely to support your issue.

4. Increase Awareness

Send emails to your state legislators, state senators, and Governor calling for an end to water fluoridation in your state and urging them to introduce legislation. Call your own legislator and schedule a meeting with them or their staff.  Let them know exactly why you want to speak with them and send an information packet at least several days prior to your meeting so they have time to consider your request and prepare an initial response.


You can also watch for electoral events, such as house parties, town hall events, and meet and greets, where your legislator will be interacting with the public.  These are great opportunities to quickly bring up the issue of fluoridation with elected officials, and to ask them their position and personal feelings about it.  It’s no use if you don’t remember what they said, so try to record the interaction if you can.


Getting media exposure is the fastest way to build support and momentum for our campaign.  Contact media outlets in your state, TV talk shows, local blogs, and radio shows, urging them to interview a FAN expert about fluoridation. Write letters to the editor of the most influential newspapers in your state about the need for fluoride policy reform.


Do you belong to a state-level nonprofit that deals with environmental, public health, or human rights issues?  Contact their management, let them know you’re a supporter and that you would like them to review water fluoridation and take a position in opposition to the practice.

5. Build Momentum

Try to get the media interested. Once your bill is introduced and scheduled for a vote, contact the media and ask them to do a story about the campaign. Legislation gives local media a reason to cover the larger issues of fluoride through the state, and sometimes at the national level. Wrtie letters to editors and OpEds in support of the bill.  When there is coverage of fluoridation in the local paper, try to find the online version of the story and have supporters' “comment” on the story, showing support for your bill. Stories that receive a lot of comments, or Letters to editors, are generally followed up with further coverage.


Host a press conference, public forum, and/or debate on the bill. It’s usually a good idea to hold community meetings or other educational events throughout the state to talk to your fellow residents about your bill. Reserve space in public libraries, town halls, or social halls. Advertise your meeting in local papers, on the internet (with Facebook groups), and with posters around towns. Host several key speakers opposing fluoridation at a luncheon in the capital, if you can, and invite legislators, their staff, and members of the media to attend. Politicians love free food, and this is a great way to get them to sit for an hour-long presentation on your bill.


Don’t forget to bring information packets to hand out to any members of the public or media who attend. Also, make sure to have a sign-up sheet to collect names, telephone numbers, and email addresses so you can alert these new supporters about upcoming campaign events and council actions.


Canvass neighborhoods. Just because your bill isn’t a referendum doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go door-to-door looking for support.Write up a petition supporting your resolution and have residents who live in districts of the legislators who will be considering your bill. Start with the actual neighborhoods of legislators who will be on the committee that will first review your bill, and then move onto the districts of the House and Senate leadership. It may not be an efficient use of your time to canvass every district. Focus on the key decision-makers and focus more of your time on actual face-to-face lobbying of these decision-makers at the State House.


Keep in contact with legislators. “Lobbying” is just another word for letting your elected officials know how you feel about an issue. Communicating with your legislators is a right, not a privilege. You should make sure all of the representatives in the legislature have a packet of information about your bill. Try to get constituents from different districts to arrange meetings with their representatives to show support for the bill. Remember those petition signers? Now is the time to contact them and urge them to call or meet with their legislator.


Increase your base of support. As the date of the vote approaches, make sure you are working with residents across the state and asking them to call or write to their representatives in support of the bill. Organize a statewide “call-in” day during which people from every neighborhood will call their representatives in support of the bill. If a particular representative is opposed to the bill, do targeted outreach in that neighborhood (canvassing). You can also use free online petition like www.change.org to organize emails campaigns targeting decision-makers.


Attend all meetings. In some cases, study committees or subcommittees will consider the bill before the full legislature or senate does. Make sure you attend these meetings and present the argument for your resolution during the public comments section of any hearings. On the day your bill is going to be voted on, make sure the hearing room is filled with supporters of your bill. Bring colorful and eye-catching signs to show support for the bill. Encourage supporters to speak in favor of the bill during the public hearing, and make sure you have people ready with prepared remarks, particularly your scientific and medical experts. The day of the vote is your final chance to how that the community really cares about your issue.  Keep the pressure on, and don’t give up until you succeed.

National Action

The practice of water fluoridation cannot come to an end without action at the national level. We're confident that the day will come when the federal government (whether it be the EPA, FDA, or Congress) will prohibit the addition of fluoride compounds into public drinking water. It's not a question of if, but a question of when.

Increase FAN’s Support Base

Help FAN get the support of medical and scientific professionals from around the world by collecting signatures for our Professionals Statement against fluoridation. Promote FAN on the world-wide-web by sharing our webpages and writing about us, as well as linking to our website and social media sites.

Increase National Awareness

Visit FAN’s “Action Alert” section to help campaigns throughout the country.  Send an email or letter to your congressmen and urge them to end federal funding and promotion of water fluoridation. Call your congressman’s district office and schedule a meeting with their staff.  Let them know exactly why you want to speak with them and send an information packet at least several days before your meeting so they have time to consider your request and prepare an initial response. You can also watch for electoral events, such as house parties, town hall events, and meet and greets, where your Congressman will be interacting with the public.  These are great opportunities to quickly bring up the issue of fluoridation with elected officials, and to ask them their position and person feelings about it.  It’s no use if you don’t remember what they said, so try to record the interaction if you can.


Getting national media exposure is the fastest way to build support and momentum for our campaign.Contact national media outlets, TV talk shows, national blogs, and radio show, urging them to interview a FAN expert about fluoridation. 


Do you belong to a national nonprofit that deals with environmental, public health, or human rights issues?  Contact their management, let them know you’re a supporter and that you would like them to review water fluoridation and take a position in opposition to the practice. 


Request that your local library carry important fluoride-free literature like “The Case Against Fluoride”, or “The Fluoride Deception”.

Share Your Story

If you or a loved one are victims of overexposure to fluoride, then your story can help us provide just how dangerous fluoridation can be, no matter where in the country it’s implemented.  Please share your story so that others can see clear proof of just how risky and damaging fluoridation can be.  Also, please take a moment to report your fluoride side effects to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Volunteer Your Skills

We obviously love to hear from scientific and medical experts who oppose fluoridation and are willing to speak out against the practice.  But we also love to hear from supporters who have equally valuable skills that can help us build and improve our campaign. If you have skills in graphic design, video editing and production, or translating foreign studies into English and vice versa (particularly Asian languages), then please contact FAN.


You can also help FAN by donating your time to filing Freedom of Information Requests for fluoridation information.  This information can include anything dealing with fluoridation including communications between fluoridation lobbyists and legislators, to batch samples and cost estimates for municipal fluoridation programs.Send us what you find and we will have experts review the materials and share them with our entire network, making sure you get credit and our appreciation for the find.