Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke with NBC news correspondent Vaughn Hillyard earlier today about his proposals in regard to community water fluoridation, stating he thinks “fluoride is on the way out” in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.
Kennedy had earlier announced that Trump’s second administration will advise all U.S. water systems to cease water fluoridation, stating in an X post last week:
On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @MELANIATRUMP want to Make America Healthy Again.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims fluoridation of community water is important for preventing cavities in teeth, despite numerous studies over the years showing negative health effects and lower IQ in children. According to the CDC:
Community water fluoridation is a cornerstone strategy for prevention of cavities in the U.S. It is a practical, cost-effective, and equitable way for communities to improve their residents’ oral health regardless of age, education, or income. CDC named fluoridation of drinking water one of 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century because of the dramatic decline in cavities since community water fluoridation started in 1945.
Contradicting the CDC’s claims on fluoride, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Toxicology Program released a study on August 21, 2024 showing the negative health and cognitive effects of fluoride exposure:
Four studies evaluated attention-related disorders or learning disabilities. … All four studies found a statistically significant positive association between fluoride exposure and measures of ADHD or learning disability; however, studies varied in the exposure metrics and outcomes measure. [One study] evaluated behaviors associated with ADHD in children ages 6–12 years using the Conners Rating Scales-Revised (CRS-R) and observed significant associations between maternal urinary fluoride (measured during each trimester) and ADHD-like symptoms, particularly those related to inattention (an increase in 0.5 mg/L of maternal urinary fluoride was significantly associated with a 2.84-point increase … in the DSM-IV Inattention Index and a 2.54-point increase … in the Cognitive Problems and Inattention Index).
Fluoridation of water has been a controversial subject for many decades. It was even parodied as a mind-control method in the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, directed by the late Stanley Kubrick (see clip below).
The John Birch Society has always opposed government/community water fluoridation, not as a mind-control plot, but because it is a violation of individuals’ right to choose what they ingest. According to the JBS website:
While the JBS doesn’t agree with water fluoridation because it is a form of government mass medication of citizens in violation of their individual right to choose which medicines they ingest, it was never opposed as a mind-control plot. If citizens want to add fluoride to their diet or daily routine, there are plentiful opportunities for them to do so. It’s a choice they should make, not their local government. Furthermore, opposition to fluoridation was never a major action item of any JBS campaign.
Federal involvement in water fluoridation would also be a violation of individual rights.
