RFK Jr. again threatens to remove fluoride from drinking water after Trump win

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeated his program to region fluoride from nationwide drinking water connected Wednesday, perchance reversing what’s considered 1 of the apical nationalist wellness achievements successful American history.

President-elect Donald Trump has said repeatedly helium plans to enactment Kennedy successful complaint of wellness initiatives during his administration. Though Trump admitted earlier Tuesday’s predetermination that helium didn’t cognize overmuch astir fluoride, helium told NBC News Kennedy’s program “sounds OK to me.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks arsenic erstwhile President Donald Trump looks connected during a Turning Point Action run rally astatine the Gas South Arena connected October 23, 2024 successful Duluth, Georgia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kennedy, 70, ran for president arsenic an autarkic candidate but dropped retired successful August and endorsed Donald Trump. They appeared astatine respective rallies unneurotic successful the campaign’s location stretch.

“Trump has promised maine … control of the nationalist wellness agencies… which, you know, is cardinal to making America healthy,” Kennedy said successful precocious October.

Kennedy has agelong railed against fluoride and promoted different health-related and vaccine-focused conspiracies. Trump called him “a precise talented guy” who would person “a large relation successful the administration.”

Fluoride has been introduced successful debased levels successful U.S. drinking h2o since 1945. The national authorities does not mandate fluoride successful water, though it exists in h2o consumed by astir 70% of the American population.

In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control celebrated “ten large nationalist wellness achievements” of the 20th century, including the fluoridation of drinking water.

“Fluoridation safely and inexpensively benefits some children and adults by efficaciously preventing bony decay, careless of socioeconomic presumption oregon entree to care,” the bureau wrote. “Fluoridation has played an important relation successful the reductions successful bony decay (40%-70% successful children) and of bony nonaccomplishment successful adults (40%-60%).”

Despite the success, fluoridation of h2o is inactive decided by section authorities. The federal authorities lone issues recommendations.