As bans spread, fluoride in drinking water divides communities across the US
As bans spread, fluoride in drinking water divides communities across the US
The broad availability of over-the-counter dental products containing fluoride has some community leaders arguing that its addition to public drinking water is no longer necessary. But public health experts worry that, much like vaccines, fluoridation may be a victim of its own success.
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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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Should the government put all beneficial substances in our water? Only some? Which ones? Why?
I don't want drugs in my water.
If the government didn't add anything to water, you'd die from bacteria and viruses after it sits stagnant in the pipes.
According to this line of reasoning, I guess it's OK for the government to add some Ozempic to the water?
There's a vast difference between sterilization agents and a purpose-made drug designed to treat a specific illness. There's a vast difference between a purpose-made drug and a simple elemental supplement. I suspect you know this. Nice strawman though, it'll burn well.
A simple elemental supplement can still be dangerous and is still a drug. One can overdose and cause health problems by consuming lots of tap water, dental fluourosis is not uncommon, I've actually seen it in people.
Ok. Sure. This is a valid argument that we can tackle. Comparing it to ozempic isn't.
There aren’t drugs in your water. There are minerals though.
Any substance, mineral or otherwise added to the water to affect the functioning of my body is a drug.
You're going to have some level of fluoride from any water source -- whether there's any extra added or not -- unless there's processing to remove it. Just part of groundwater.
Saying "use a filter to remove some naturally occurring X" -- sure ok
Saying "use a filter to remove drugs added to your tap water that your tax dollars pay for" -- not ok
If you water had nothing in it, it would be dangerous to drink. Distilled and/or 18 MΩ water can kill you, if you're not careful.
LOL! I've been drinking distilled water primarily for 25 years! You can order it for your water cooler from Sparklett's.
Sorry, you're right, I was a bit... hyperbolic. You can drink it every day without problems since 1) it's not as pure as we like to think it is and 2) you can easily get all your minerals and stuff from your food.
The danger is if you decide to chug a bunch of water for one reason or another. It's easier to give yourself water intoxication with distilled water, essentially because the osmotic pressure is so much higher relative to the inside of your cells. This isn't actually a problem most people have to worry about, water intoxication is pretty rare, but I'm used to thinking in terms of hardcore athletes. It would be foolish to drink only distilled water for a marathon, for example.
That all sounds about right, appreciate your candor.
After 25 years, just this last year I started getting rib cramps which I suspect are a mineral (electrolyte) deficiency caused by distilled water (+ bad diet of UPF), so it's not necessarily completely without problems if your diet sucks. I started taking a mineral supplement and the cramps went away.
You drink distilled water, which causes you issues you have to remedy by taking additional supplements.
Clearly your stance is not viable for general populations. You sound like people that don't want to allow blood transfusions because it makes them feel icky and fringe cases exist of it going poorly.
Did I say distilled water should be what the general population drinks? Did I say we should replace tap water with distilled water?
My mineral deficiency is due to a bad diet of primarily ultra-processed food and maybe exacerbated by nearly 3 decades of distilled water consumption. Oh, and it was cramps, fluoride causes brain damage.
Someone who gives themselves mineral deficiencies should absolutely not be listened to when it comes to general public health issues lol
Fluoride in the doses allowed in water doesn't cause brain damage, you sound like an anti-vaxxer.
So you're making 100% perfect health choices and we should listen to you?
By drinking distilled water I've avoided lots of pollutants including fluoride.
Fluoride in the doses allowed in water doesn’t cause brain damage,
And how do you know what doses people are getting?
And how do you know what doses people are getting?
Lol just like an anti-vaxxer. Where's your evidence of water having dangerous doses exceeding regulations or what exceeding the levels the utility says they use? Bonus points if you're able to find levels that exceed what's actually safe for humans.
You started with serious questions, worth talking about, but thinking fluoride is a drug killed it. That tells me you're not educated enough to have the conversation.
lol, and why would fluoride not qualify as a drug?
Drug: A substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication.
You know tap water literally has chlorine in it, right?
I don't drink tap water, but yes I'm well aware. I don't believe chlorine can be considered a drug added to our water as it's intention is not to affect my body, it's to prevent growth of bacteria in the water system.
Either way, I don't really want that in my water either, but practical reality necessitates it, hundreds of millions could die without it, this is not nearly the case for fluoride.
Lol
I'm sure your rational, considered opinion deserves as much weight as doctors and utility engineers.
I don't want drugs in my water.
I don't drink tap water
Well then, I guess you don't have to worry about "drugs" in your water.