Residents attend a Durango City Council meeting to discuss continued fluoridation of the city’s drinking water, Nov. 5, 2024, in Durango, Colo. (Christian Burney/The Durango Herald via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — For about 50 years, adding cavity-fighting fluoride to drinking water was a popular public health measure in Yorktown, a leafy town north of New York.

But in September, the town supervisor used his emergency powers to end the practice.

The reason? A recent ruling by a federal judge ordered U.S. regulators to consider the risk that fluoride in water could lead to lower IQs in children.

“It’s too dangerous to look at it and just say, ‘Ah, shit.’ We will continue,” said Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman.

Yorktown is not alone. The decision to add fluoride to drinking water rests with state and local officials, and fights break out nationwide.

Communities in Florida, Texas, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming and elsewhere have debated the idea in recent months – the total number is in the dozens, with several deciding to call it quits. to add it to drinking water, according to Fluoride Action Network, an advocacy organization against water fluoridation. In Arkansas, lawmakers introduced a bill this week to repeal the state’s fluoridation program.

The debates were triggered or fueled by three developments:

–In August, a federal agency reported “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure – more than twice the recommended limit – and lower IQ in children.

–In September, the federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to children’s intellectual development.

– This month, just days before the election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Donald Trump would push to eliminate fluoride from drinking water on his first day as president. Trump then chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

In Durango, Colorado, there was an unsuccessful attempt to stop water fluoridation during Trump’s first term. A new surge came this year, as Trump saw a surge in political support.

“It’s just the ebb and flow of politics at the national level that ultimately affects us here,” said city spokesman Tom Sluis.

Fluoride is a public health success story, but opposition persists

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost through normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1950, federal authorities approved water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and adding low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest health achievements public of the last century.

Fluoride can come from several sources, but drinking water is the primary source for Americans, researchers say. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population receives fluoridated drinking water, according to CDC data.

There is a recommended level of fluoridation, but many communities exceed it, sometimes because fluoride occurs naturally at higher levels in some water sources.

Opposition is nothing new, even if it was considered a fringe opinion for decades. Its supporters included conspiracy theorists who claimed that fluoridation was a plot to subjugate people to government power.

Health officials might cite studies showing that cavities were less common in communities with fluoridated water and that dental health deteriorated in communities without it.

But fluoride isn’t just found in water. Over the years, it has become common in toothpastes, mouthwashes and other products. And data began to emerge that there might be too much of a good thing: In 2011, officials reported that 2 in 5 American teenagers had at least mild streaks or stains on their teeth from too much fluoride. .

In 2015, the CDC recommended that communities review the amount they put into the water. Starting in 1962, the government recommended a range from 0.7 milligrams per liter for warmer climates, where people drink more water, to 1.2 milligrams in colder regions. The new standard has become 0.7 everywhere.

Over time, more and more studies have pointed to a different problem: a link between higher fluoride levels and brain development. The August report from the federal government’s National Toxicology Program – summarizing studies in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico – concluded that drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter was associated with lower IQ in children.

“There is no doubt that fluoride prevents cavities. » said Dr. Tom Frieden, who was CDC director when the agency changed recommended fluoride levels. “There is no doubt that we are getting more fluoride than we were 50 years ago, through toothpaste and other products.”

Frieden said “a legitimate question” The question of whether fluoride affects brain development has been raised, and studies establishing this link “must be considered carefully.”

American cities wonder what to do

Many people working in health care support water fluoridation. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed their support for the CDC’s current recommendations following the federal report and the judge’s ruling.

The Colorado Department of Health, which spoke at a Durango City Council meeting on Nov. 5, said in a statement that it “seeks to align its public health recommendations with the latest scientific research. The facts of this court decision are not sufficient. » to review current fluoridation levels.

Durango officials are waiting to see what the EPA will do in response to the recent court ruling, said Sluis, the city spokesman.

“We follow the science” he said. “It would not be in the best interest of the city to stop fluoridation based on a judge’s interpretation.”

In Yorktown, Lachterman concluded that the judge’s decision was sufficient to end fluoridation. He recalled a community discussion several years ago in which most of the people in the room were clearly in favor of fluoridation, but recently it seemed the public comments had reversed.

"It’s like a complete 180," he said.

But these days, not all public pressure opposes this idea.

In September, Buffalo, New York, announced it would resume water fluoridation after nearly a decade of inactivity. Media reports had reported an increase in tooth decay, and families filed lawsuits seeking compensation for dental costs.

Buffalo Sewer Authority General Manager Oluwole McFoy declined to discuss the decision with The Associated Press, citing the litigation.

For its part, the EPA “is reviewing the district court’s decision”, said spokesman Jeff Landis this week.

The debates became heated

In Monroe, Wisconsin, fluoridation “has become a very hot topic” declared its mayor, Donna Douglas.

The small town near Madison began fluoridating its drinking water in the early 1960s. But by late summer, some residents began calling and emailing Douglas, telling her she needed to do something. thing in the face of what they considered a danger to public health. The first call “It was more of a threat,” she remembers.

Douglas said she hasn’t taken a position on whether to stop, but decided to bring the issue to the city council for discussion. The discussions were particularly moving.

Few people tend to speak during public comment sessions at council meetings, Douglas said. But more than two dozen people spoke at a city council meeting last month, most in favor of fluoridation. At a later meeting, a dozen more people – all opposed to fluoridation – came to speak.

“This is the first time we have had a debate” like that, Douglas said. “I didn’t think it would be such a lively discussion.”