Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday said he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation in communities nationwide. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it is reviewing "new scientific information" on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. Kennedy told the AP of his plans, which include setting up a task force on the issue, during an appearance in Salt Lake City to celebrate Utah's new ban on fluoride in public drinking water. The secretary cannot order communities to stop fluoridation, but he can tell the CDC to stop recommending it and work with the EPA to change the allowed amount, an authority that rests with the agency.
Last month, Utah became the first state to enact a ban, pushing past opposition from dentists and national health organizations that warned the move would lead to medical problems that disproportionately affect low-income communities. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation prohibiting cities and communities from deciding whether to add the cavity-preventing mineral to their drinking water. Water systems across the state must stop fluoridation by May 7. Kennedy praised Utah as "the leader in making America healthy again." He was flanked by Utah legislative leaders and the sponsor of the state's fluoride law. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin also was there.
"I'm very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it, and I hope many more will," Kennedy said. In his new job, he oversees the CDC, whose recommendations to state and local governments are widely followed but are not mandatory. Zeldin said the EPA review also will help inform any changes to national standards. "Secretary Kennedy has long been at the forefront of this issue," Zeldin said. "His advocacy was instrumental in our decision to review fluoride exposure risks." (More fluoride stories.)
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