Americans are nearly evenly split on community water fluoridation, with supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement more likely to oppose it, according to a new study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
The public policy center surveyed 1,639 U.S. adults between April 14-28.
The study comes amid heavy debate over the addition of fluoride in public water supplies. Several cities across the U.S. are either considering removing fluoride from their water supplies or have already done so. Meanwhile, Florida and Utah banned the addition of fluoride to water supplies statewide last year.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken issue with water fluoridation several times since stepping into his role. Mr. Kennedy has previously discussed plans to scale back the amount of fluoride in the country’s drinking water, and also celebrated anti-fluoride measures during his Make America Healthy Again tour last year.
Five notes:
- The survey found that 43% of Americans favor adding fluoride to public drinking water, while 26% oppose it and 30% neither favor nor oppose it.
- Among self-identified MAHA supporters, 41% oppose fluoridation and 26% favor it. Among non-MAHA supporters, 63% favor fluoridation and 11% oppose it.
- Forty-two percent of Americans said the use of fluoride in public water supplies has an overall positive effect on public health, while 17% said it has a negative effect.
- Americans expressed more confidence in the American Dental Association as a trustworthy source of information on fluoride than in RFK Jr. — 74% vs. 34%.
- Among MAHA supporters, confidence in Mr. Kennedy was higher at 74%, though 68% also expressed confidence in the ADA.
To see additional results from the survey, click here.
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