Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. kicked off a tour by southwestern states on Monday by calling on states to ban fluoride in consuming water provides, a transfer that may reverse what some medical consultants take into account some of the essential public well being practices within the nation’s historical past.
The announcement got here at a information convention in Utah, the primary state to enact such a ban into legislation. The state’s new legislation is ready to take impact in early Could, regardless of issues from public well being consultants who take into account fluoridation of water core to stopping tooth decay.
“It is not sensible to have it in our water provide,” Mr. Kennedy mentioned, echoing a position he took during the 2024 presidential campaign. “I’m very, very pleased with this state for being the primary state to ban it, and I hope many extra will come.”
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, which Mr. Kennedy oversees as well being secretary, has listed fluoridation as one of many 10 nice public well being achievements of the twentieth century. After the information convention, Stefanie Spear, Mr. Kennedy’s principal deputy chief of employees, mentioned Mr. Kennedy would direct the C.D.C.’s neighborhood preventative companies activity drive to review fluoride and make a brand new advice.
Mr. Kennedy appeared on the information convention alongside the administrator of the Environmental Safety Company, Lee Zeldin, who introduced that the E.P.A. would re-examine analysis on potential well being dangers of fluoride in water.
The present customary “was most not too long ago reviewed July of 2024, however rather a lot has occurred since July of 2024,” Mr. Zeldin mentioned. The evaluation of security knowledge “wouldn’t be taking place, if not for Secretary Kennedy,” he added.
