RFK Jr. Directs CDC to Halt Fluoride Recommendations, EPA Launches Review

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to end federal support for water fluoridation, citing contested health risks, as the EPA examines new scientific findings.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has instructed the CDC to stop recommending community water fluoridation and is forming a task force to reassess its safety and efficacy.
The EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, is reviewing recent studies on fluoride exposure, including links to lower IQ levels in children at higher-than-recommended concentrations.
Utah recently became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, a move Kennedy praised as a potential model for other states to follow.
Critics, including the American Dental Association, warn that ending fluoridation could increase dental cavities, particularly in vulnerable populations lacking access to dental care.
Fluoride has been a key public health measure since 1945, with federal guidelines supporting its use to prevent tooth decay, though recent studies have raised concerns about overexposure.