Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vow to remove fluoride from the nation’s drinking water would be a time-consuming and politically fraught task for the incoming Trump administration — but not an impossible one.
Adding the cavity-fighting chemical to water supplies was one of the 20th century’s signature public health achievements, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which calls the practice “a practical, cost-effective, and equitable way for communities to improve their residents’ oral health.” Though nearly two-thirds of Americans drink water with fluoride added to it, that’s a decision made by state and local health authorities — not under the direct control of Washington.
But recent studies about the effect of excessive fluoride levels have raised doubts among some environmental groups and health experts, and a handful of communities have opted to stop fluoridating their water. Now, a September federal court ruling and a 2016 bipartisan chemical safety law are offering a potential avenue that President-elect Donald Trump’s regulators could take to ban fluoridation.
It still wouldn’t be easy, legal experts say.
