According to a government study, childhood exposure to fluoride is linked to lower intelligence, but the release of this report to the public was allegedly blocked by federal officials for two years.
The Fluoride Action Network, a nonprofit focused on educating the public about fluoride and water fluoridation, filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claiming that Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), prevented the report’s release in 2022 under pressure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the dental lobby.
While the EPA declined to comment, Fast Company has reached out to the HHS and CDC for further information.
Last week, the HHS released the report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP), titled the Monograph on the State of the Science on Fluoride. The report found that high fluoride exposure is consistently associated with decreased IQ in children based on data from human studies, with over 70 epidemiological studies supporting this conclusion.
This report’s release was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the Fluoride Action Network and other organizations against the EPA regarding the classification of fluoride as a neurotoxin. U.S. District Court Judge Edward M. Chen is expected to rule on the case soon.
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the Fluoride Action Network obtained internal documents revealing that Levine prevented the report’s public release. Subpoenaed as evidence for the court case, the report was subsequently released under a court order by Judge Chen.
Is fluoride safe or not? Experts weigh in
Critics argue that this report challenges the longstanding claims by the government and dental industry that fluoride is safe. Since 1945, fluoride has been added to public tap water to enhance oral health and reduce cavities, with varying levels of fluoridation across states.
Stuart Cooper, executive director of the Fluoride Action Network, notes, “The report contradicts what we’ve been told for 75 years. It undermines their medical credibility, becoming a falsehood too significant to overlook.”
While NTP’s director, Rick Woychik, acknowledges the importance of the report for setting standards on fluoride’s safe use, it does not evaluate the benefits of fluoride usage.
The American Dental Association (ADA) continues to support water fluoridation, emphasizing that the new report does not warrant changes to current practices. Dr. Linda Edgar, ADA president, states that “community water fluoridation is crucial for public health benefits.”
Greg Kail from the American Water Works Association believes that water systems will not alter their practices based on the NTP review results.
Ashley Malin, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, views the NTP report as a landmark study and the first authoritative government assessment of fluoride’s potential impact on child IQ. Her own research indicates a link between fluoride levels and ADHD in children, alarming given the increasing rates of ADHD diagnosis.
In addition to the potential IQ effects, the process of community fluoridation can introduce other metal exposures from fluoride additives, including barium, arsenic, and aluminum. Cooper hopes the report will end the debate on fluoride as a neurotoxin, urging water treatment plants to discontinue fluoridation to prevent brain damage.
