this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2024
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As bans spread, fluoride in drinking water divides communities across the US (kffhealthnews.org)
submitted 7 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
371 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

…

It is a scenario playing out nationwide. From Oregon to Pennsylvania, hundreds of communities have in recent years either stopped adding fluoride to their water supplies or voted to prevent its addition. Supporters of such bans argue that people should be given the freedom of choice. The broad availability of over-the-counter dental products containing the mineral makes it no longer necessary to add to public water supplies, they say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while store-bought products reduce tooth decay, the greatest protection comes when they are used in combination with water fluoridation.

The outcome of an ongoing federal case in California could force the Environmental Protection Agency to create a rule regulating or banning the use of fluoride in drinking water nationwide. In the meantime, the trend is raising alarm bells for public health researchers who worry that, much like vaccines, fluoride may have become a victim of its own success.

The CDC maintains that community water fluoridation is not only safe and effective but also yields significant cost savings in dental treatment. Public health officials say removing fluoride could be particularly harmful to low-income families — for whom drinking water may be the only source of preventive dental care.

“If you have to go out and get care on your own, it’s a whole different ballgame,” said Myron Allukian Jr., a dentist and past president of the American Public Health Association. Millions of people have lived with fluoridated water for years, “and we’ve had no major health problems,” he said. “It’s much easier to prevent a disease than to treat it.”

According to the anti-fluoride group Fluoride Action Network, since 2010, over 240 communities around the world have removed fluoride from their drinking water or decided not to add it.

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[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Yes we definitely need to get rid of this democracy thing /s

[–] BreakDecks@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 months ago

The problem with our current democracy is that we haven't enshrined education as a right. Democracy works great if the population is informed and has critical thinking skills. In America, any stupid idea that becomes popular enough can become the law, because the population is too stupid to make pragmatic, evidence-based decisions.

[–] chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The first thing is not so much less democracy, but more participation. I'm definitely guilty of this myself, so not trying to be holier than thou preachy. Conservatives have been doing a concerted effort to take over lower level offices as well, school boards, municipal positions, etc. Part of the issue seems ro be the people who want to do this stuff often have an ulterior motive, and people who should probably be in these spots have a lack of interest.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Local office is pretty much shit. You get yelled at for whatever the crazies saw on TV last night, you can't fix anything, and everyone is angry about something.

Never doing it again.

[–] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

The christofascists are trying to destroy democracy. The village idiots are their brown shirts.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

If you want to protect democracy maybe don't defend the worst examples of it.