Drinking Water Fluoridation Debates Across U.S. Demonstrate Ongoing Challenges
A decades-old drinking water treatment practice continues to spark debate across the country, as some major systems appear to be on the path toward siding with public health advocates while others question its safety.
For instance, in Albany, New York, the country’s long legacy of fluoridation and the support of dental professionals are making advocates optimistic that the water system will soon adopt the practice.
“In the old days, people thought it was some kind of communist plot to affect our water supply,” a local official named Tom Hoey told WAMC. “But there’s many cities throughout the country that use fluoridated water, and it’s proven to be very useful.”
As Hoey attempts to get Albany to join those many cities, he’s found some assistance from local dentist Kathie Rothas.
“When I sit down to do an exam on a kid, I can always identify which ones are from Albany and which ones are not, just based on the appearance of the teeth, based on the number of cavities oftentimes appearing in the teeth,” she said, per WAMC. “By drinking fluoridated water, you’re not just impacting the baby teeth, you’re also impacting the long-term health of the adult teeth.”
But, demonstrating the ongoing challenges in establishing consistent and effective drinking water treatment techniques, fluoridation is also coming under fire in prominent cities.
“With concerns being raised by vocal opponents of fluoride in drinking water, the Dallas City Council’s quality of life committee heard from a panel of experts about the practice that began in Dallas in 1966,” FOX 4 reported. “‘Times have changed since the 50s,’ [Councilwoman Paula Blackmon] said. ‘I think it is a fair question to ask if a practice in 2023 is still a good practice.’”
The latest debates in New York and Texas are just the most recent entries in a saga that goes back decades. As health professionals and critically minded consumers find themselves at odds over an increasing number of issues, it seems that drinking water fluoridation will continue to stoke heated debate.
To read more about the rules that govern drinking water treatment practices, visit Water Online’s Regulations And Legislation Solutions Center.