Kennedy Disregards Science in Directing the CDC to Change its Guidance on Fluoride in Drinking Water
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to change its guidance on fluoride in drinking water and called on states to ban fluoridated drinking water.
Public Citizen Health Research Group Director Dr. Robert Steinbrook issued the following statement:
“HHS Secretary Kennedy’s directive to the CDC to change its recommendation on fluoride in drinking water is an over-reach and has no credibility. If Kennedy is serious about reviewing the federal guidance, he should ask the National Academy of Medicine to convene an independent expert panel without conflicts of interest and abide by its conclusions.
“Part of the scientific process is to include recent information and review public health guidance from time to time. But the review must start with an open mind — which Kennedy does not have on fluoride in drinking water supplies — and follow the evidence.
“Right now, the U.S. Public Health Service “science-based guidance” for the prevention of tooth decay (dental caries) is a fluoride concentration in drinking water of 0.7 mg/L to maximize “fluoride’s oral health benefits while minimizing potential harms. Decisions about fluoride in drinking water are made at the state and local level.”