HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to advise the CDC to stop recommending adding fluoride to public water supplies, according to an April 7 report from The Associated Press.
In addition, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will “expeditiously review” new information on the potential health risks of fluoride, according to an April 7 news release from the agency. The EPA sets the maximum level of fluoride that is allowed in public water systems.
In August, the National Toxicology Program released a report concluding that fluoride exposure above 1.5 milligrams per liter is associated with lower IQ in children. The U.S. Public Health Service currently recommends 0.7 mg of fluoride per liter of drinking water.
The EPA will undergo a review of the report and additional studies to create an updated health effects assessment for fluoride.
Utah recently became the first state to ban water fluoridation by prohibiting the addition of fluoride to the state’s public water supplies. Other states, such as Ohio and Florida, are considering similar bans.
Mr. Kennedy cannot force communities to end water fluoridation practices, but he can direct the CDC to stop recommending the mineral, the report said.
