Jesus where’d all the anti fluoride weirdos come crawling out of?
It’s saddening to see them penetrate their way into lemmy 😔
First off, RFK is a nutcase.
But this isn’t such a weird thing to do. The majority of the (western) world does not add fluoride to the drinking water. Many countries used to, but have since stopped. These days it’s mostly an anglosphere thing.
The concern that the ingestion of fluoride over long periods of time (a substance that accumulates in the body) can have adverse effects is actually supported by scientific evidence. Adding it to toothpaste is also supported to be just as good at protecting your teeth (if not better). Having it both in toothpaste ánd in the drinking water is effectively useless.
Because of the involved medical risk, and the lack of medical benefits in light of people brushing with toothpaste with fluoride in it, it’s really not a crazy idea to remove it. Added benefit is that it improves the taste of the water too (imo).
Don’t get me wrong, my gut reaction was to think this is stupid too. But then I checked if we do it here (Netherlands) and found out we stopped, for the reasons outlined above. And that’s the RIVM talking, a very respected, apolitical government institute concerned with public health. The science genuinely supports the removal of fluoride from the water supply.
Btw, the US has a maximum norm of fluoride in the water, but quality control is so poor that in many places those levels are exceeded considerably. That’s an issue in and of itself.
Of course, RFK should make sure that all toothpaste has fluoride in it, and that it’s cheap enough so that everyone can afford it. He probably won’t, so he’s still stupid.
But a broken clock…
There’s a stock market scam here somewhere.
“Any possible association with low IQ and fluoridation only occurs at excessive levels—levels more than twice the amount used in the US”
Oh, only twice as much. Good thing fluoride does not build up in your system. Oh wait, it does.
I hate RFK, but the pro-fluoridation crowd is just as crazy and have no clue where their fluoride actually comes from.
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/why-i-changed-my-mind-on-water-fluoridation/
If I were to start putting things in the water supplies without the people’s consent, I’d be labelled a terrorist, but if the government does it, it’s “public health.”
If I were to start running Romex between all my neighbors houses it would be “unsafe” and “a fire hazard” but if the government does it its “a power grid”
If I were to start gathering all the kids I can find and lock them in a room with me it would be “kidnapping” but if the government does it its “school”
Braindead argument.
The difference here is consent.
I never consented to having fluoride removed from my water. Why is your right to be a weapons grade dumb cunt more important than my right to not spent tens of thousands more on my healthcare?
If you think that someone tampering with your drinking water without your consent is unethical, then we seem to be in agreement…?
(The right to affordable healthcare is a positive right, whereas the right to freedom from intervention is a negative right; they are not in the same category.)
Flouride is already in toothpaste in sufficient quantity. Not sure there’s much reason to do it any longer. Also, dangerous levels of fluoride are not found in our water systems. It’s a dumb conspiracy theory, from both ends.
There is no reason to add it to municipal water when there is adequate dental care. This has been proven time and time again with thousands of cities without fluoridation
Also, we don’t really know what safe levels are since it has been proven to build up in our system. Ingesting it should always be avoided, period.
We should just ban sugar. Problem solved.
That would do more than anything else honestly.
when there is adequate dental care
Well… Isn’t that an issue? Or did you mean brushing with modern toothpaste solves the issue? That’s what I was talking about.
Brushing with fluoride tooth paste is more effective than fluoridation of our water supply.
Adequate dental care is even better and the two together produce the best outcomes.
I think the concept of applying a band aid because the population doesn’t have adequate dental care in the richest nation in the world is at best a cop out.
Having studied this at UNI, I can say the truth is much more bizarre than you can imagine.
if people want water fluoridation why don’t they just add flouride to their own water and let others choose not to? Is letting people choose not the more freedom preserving method and statistical tooth damage a reasonable price to pay for that freedom?
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freedom to add whatever chemicals you want to your own water
I’m fine with that as long as the government also stops all health benefits for teeth.
The government has health benefits for teeth? Where do I sign up?
You probably aren’t poor enough to qualify.
Yeah, really. I’m pretty poor but the requirements to get on various programs are based on 1970 cost of living stats.
