Fluoride Dangers: New Evidence

When will it be enough to convince policymakers to change course? Action Alert!

A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has linked fluoride exposure with lower IQ. This is the latest in a long line of studies demonstrating the dangers of water fluoridation, but policymakers are still refusing to act.

The study found that women who drank fluoridated water while pregnant gave birth to children with lower IQs than pregnant mothers who did not drink fluoridated water. The article was accompanied by an editorial note—the first such note the editor-in-chief had ever written—saying that the choice to publish the article was “not easy” and that the paper was subjected to “additional scrutiny” due to its controversial nature. Judging from journals’ refusal to publish credible research calling vaccine safety into question, it is a welcome surprise to see a prestigious journal publish such findings.

Groups like the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have rushed to downplay these findings and affirm the safety of fluoride in drinking water. The preponderance of evidence, however, casts doubt on such conclusions.

Two recent studies showed that 1) adults who are iodine deficient and have high levels of fluoride in their system have a greater risk of an underactive thyroid, and 2) mothers with higher fluoride exposure during pregnancy were more likely to have children with symptoms of ADHD. (Note that this wasn’t the first study to link water fluoridation with ADHD.)

These are just the most recent studies. There is substantial evidence, including more than fifty human population studies, that links elevated fluoride levels with neurological effects, especially lower IQ. Fluoride also accumulates in the body, including the blood vessels, where it can contribute to calcification. A National Research Council report concluded that the EPA’s standard for fluoride in drinking water is unsafe and should be lowered. The report highlighted damage that can be done to the teeth, bones, brain, endocrine system, thyroid, and pineal gland—all from drinking fluoride.

As we reported in recent years, water fluoridation is a gift to special interests. Since sodium fluoride is a waste product of the aluminum production process, water fluoridation meant that the aluminum industry could profit from their industrial waste.

Today it’s even worse. Fluorosilicic acid (FSA), an inorganic fluoride compound, is a waste product of synthetic fertilizer production. Breathing FSA’s fumes causes severe lung damage or death; an accidental splash on skin leads to burning and extreme pain. Yet FSA is put into barrels and shipped across the US to be drip-fed into drinking water.

Even if there weren’t any safety concerns with drinking fluoride, there would still be the question of whether we need to do it in the first place. The world is different than it was 100 years ago, especially when it comes to dental health. Most of us use toothpaste, and many people use fluoridated toothpaste, making fluoride in water unnecessary. Other parts of the world that do not fluoridate their water, like Western Europe, have seen dental decay rates decline just as much as they have in the US.

It’s no surprise, then, that 74 cities have voted to remove fluoride from drinking water over the last few years.

Water fluoridation is unsafe, unnecessary, and only benefits industries who can turn their toxic waste into cash. Some groups have sued the EPA after the agency denied a petition to ban the practice of fluoridating water. The case is currently in federal court.

Simply put, there is no good reason to continue water fluoridation, and ending the practice could help protect our kids. It’s time the EPA ended this practice once and for all.

Action Alert! Tell the EPA and Congress to stop water fluoridation. Please send your message immediately.