RFK Jr. says a Trump White House would immediately push to remove fluoride from water
Summary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that a Trump administration would prioritize removing fluoride from public water systems, a position at odds with major health organizations like the CDC, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, all of which endorse water fluoridation as safe and beneficial for dental health.
Despite Kennedy’s controversial stance on health and environmental issues, which includes previously debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, Trump has praised his passion, stating that Kennedy would have significant freedom to influence health policy if Trump were elected.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/rfk-jr-trump-white-house-remove-fluoride-water-rcna178543Open linkView original on lemmy.world573
Comments126
Roe v Wade: "This should be decided by the states!"
Fluoride in water: "This should be decided by the federal government!"
???
They're proposing to ban vaccines too, and they're not mentioning particular vaccines, just "vaccines". So no healthcare for trans people or pregnant women, and no vaccines. It's only a matter of time before someone convinces them antibiotics are the devil's work.
I mean...
At this point let's just tell them we forbid them from drinking arsenic because, even though it massively increases testosterone production, all liberal science says most humans aren't strong enough to handle it.
Fucking let moron nature take its course.
Except they'll take a lot of us with them. We need herd immunity, clean air and water, safe roads. They're going to fuck us all with their idiocy.
You can have safety, or you can have improvement via evolution.
You can't have both.
You can actually, evolution is driven by selective reproduction, not selective survival. Yes, reproduction is usually tied to survival, but natural selection would still work even if everyone always lived to 80.
It would not select for traits useful for survival though, it would most likely select for traits that get you laid.
This requires us to prevent people from reproducing, we have to pick and choose who can breed.
Gonna put that in the "probably not a great idea" category.
You have seen Idiocracy, yes? About selective reproduction.
I've seen the kind of people that reproduce well. Most of them are both immoral and not very smart.
My cousins' parents are a good exception, though. They are exactly the kind of people that should have children, and their daughters too. My parents, on the contrary, were the kind of people about whom I'd never say that. It's a pure miracle I've turned out at least kinda similar to a human.
On the contrary, the best people I know personally of my generation either have problems they haven't yet solved or are gay.
OK, then thinking about myself, I actually think I'd not be that bad of a parent, in case one of those strange creatures likes me enough, but it would be really hard.
They'd probably start putting it in the water.
Antibiotics are proof of evolution, since the various microorganisms create resistances to vaccines.
Nothing says pro life like returning to 18th century childhood mortality rates 😎
Antibiotics shouldn't be used as easily as people think, though. Because, ahem, antibiotic resistance is a thing.
It's a responsible position to only use antibiotics when you really need it. Not when you have cold. EDIT: just in case, by cold I mean cold, not covid
That's the kind of responsible and sensible advice the Republicans would never give. It requires too much nuance.
I don't think I've heard anything responsible and sensible from politicians with chances to succeed in a two party system.
Anti-what? Ohhh you mean Satan Pills.
Breaking: Trump vows to repeal Ohm's Law: "States should handle resistance at the local level."
That’s because they don’t actually have principles.
Not putting fluoride in the water isn't the same as prohibiting it. If you want to drink it or not simply becomes optional, rather than mandatory. Give people a choice to make with their healthcare provider, otherwise you're forcing medicine down peoples throat.
https://pharmacy.amazon.com/Sodium-Fluoride-Chewable-Tablet/dp/B084BTB8TY?
Violating your principals for some undetectable flouride in the water is a small price to pay for an entire area of people to receive better dental prospects.
Flip this round. You still have a choice, buy bottled water.
Oh stfu
Nobody is forcing you to drink tap water.
Fluoride isn't medicine.
Don't we have real problems to solve? Why are Republicans always making up new shit?
More like rehashing old shit. Vaccines are pretty settled science as well.
Because Democrats tend to agree with reality, so if republicans want to oppose them they must insist that reality isn't true.
Distraction 101. If we’re too busy fighting about stuff like this, we won’t come after them for the stuff they absolutely do not want to address. More often than not, the other side doesn’t really want to do the hard work either, so it’s easy to just fight with them about the meaningless shit and get credit for being the reasonable ones. Meanwhile the homeless camps get larger, the health care gets more expensive, the one income family with a pension for retirement becomes a two income family juggling multiple part time jobs with no benefits, higher education becomes something that traps you in a lifetime of loan debt, and we spend billions to elect people who will address none of it.
Pick up a fiddle and enjoy the view of Rome.
Sometimes I hope I’ll see a starship Enterprise, but it’s looking more like Bell riots and Eugenics wars for the rest of my lifetime.
Vote blue and punch a nazi whenever you can, be the change you want to see.
Mental health.
People like you are the reason I want a forum that makes you read the articles before you can comment on them.
Great way to send a lot of business to dentists.
A Pynchon-level conspiracy. I suspect we’ll be seeing some more dentist-on-trampoline accidents.
.
That paper specifically concludes that despite all that, there is no reason to even look into whether fluoridation in drinking water might be a problem because there has clearly been no corollary deleterious effect. So, knowing what it would look like if it was a problem, was enough to know that it isn't even close enough to warrant checking how close it is. The highest reported extremes of exposure already didn't cause issue, so there is certainly no cause for concern at normal levels.
Basically, normal levels are so far below potential risky levels, that they aren't even concerned of accidental overexposure due to mistakes or accidents. They concluded they had literally zero concern...
So linking that paper isn't really supporting your opinion.
The paper does not recognize fluoride as a neurotoxin in its current application in Europe:
Not that I'm agreeing in an away about the paranoia about fluoridation, but there is no known safe level of lead. Lead concentration is regulated, but whatever the thresholds are, they aren't based on "safe" levels, just acceptable levels.
https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/lead-poison-and-children-no-amount-lead-safe
This is not true. To elaborate on what the other person who replied said... there is no safe level of lead in consumer products because lead accumulates in the body. Also, lots of consumer products still contain lead because there are loopholes. And the regulations any way aren't that stringent.
Those concerns are for unrealistically high doses though. The last sentence of the abstract you linked:
Calling concerns about the safety of fluoridated water “founded” is a bit of a stretch.
The issue is not whether fluoride is good or bad. Conservatives vilify medical experts as "woke" and it that as a reason to dismiss their advice.
I too can cherry pick an article to support my position. The number of cavities in children born in Calgary, Canada within the decade after they removed fluoride from their water was higher than nearby Edmonton who kept fluoride.
We can argue about who has more links to support their argument; or we can argue about whether politicians should govern based on the recommendations of experts, or trust that "they know best".
The article you linked explicitly concludes:
You weren't supposed to read the study! 😅
.. And it literally actually says it's not a concern.
When you dismiss other scientific evidence like this, it makes it seem less like you are mindfully sharing research for open discussion, and more like you have a link to use as "ammunition" to defend the conclusion you've already reached (and won't be reasoned out of)
These people use research the same way a drunkard uses a lamppost - for support rather than illumination.
(Paraphrasing)
And didn't even fucking read the article they are attempting to use as ammunition, to boot, the article specifically denies the point they're trying to make
Claims to not have cherry picked anything yet follows up with the claim that scientists are fake experts and he doesn't listen to them.
You've exposed your ruse here, bud.
I'm not putting words in your mouth, you clearly don't think they're experts by your use if the snarky quotes around it and stated "you people worship" which obviously excludes yourself from that category.
If you're trying to challenge people, why aren't you replying to the multitude of comments pointing out that the study you linked doesn't say what you think it does?
where are brain worms when you need them to finish the job
starved to death.
It's like a joke unto itself. A brain worm couldn't survive in RFK's brain.
Poisoned by his thoughts
How about making sure 100% of US residents have access to clean, safe tap water first? Eliminate lead and forever chemicals. I don't feel strongly about fluoride, I do feel strongly you should be able to drink water from your kitchen sink without having to worry.
Wow are you a commie? Tap water should only contain flammable gas from nearby fracking plants! Yeehaw
That’s how you know what Freedom^TM^ tastes like!
It tastes like burning.
There actually is a huge push to replace ALL lead service lines in the next few years. Also the EPA has extra funding for treatment of "emerging contaminants" which includes PFAS. Republicans are trying (and succeding) to reduce this funding.
See that would require 100% of Americans to be rich enough for these chucklefucks to care about us.
We don't have it in Quebec, we have more dental health issues on average than in Ontario (our neighbors)
That's interesting. I thought it was more or less universal. Any idea why?
It was never introduced on a large scale to begin with (Montreal never did it for example) and there's a group that helps citizens fight it where it's still done (5 cities still do it).
One of their main argument is that the studies that most cities refer to to defend it date from the 60s/70s and their methodology was so so, more recent research don't seem to find as much of a difference if socio-economic criterias are taken into consideration (but again, Quebec as a whole vs any other province as a whole should cover that, Quebec is richer than New-Brunswick yet kids have more cavities in Quebec) and there's the environmental question considering that about 1% of the water is used as drinking water, it's 99% of the fluoride being wasted.
Sure ok. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.
The issues you've mentioned apply generally to fluoridation anywhere. It sounds like the reason why it's not present in Quebec is that the resistance was better organised.
There's fluoride in the water here in regional Western Australia, but I fear that's probably the least concerning additive. I've never really thought much about it but apparently there's chlorine in the tap water, you can smell it from time to time. If you think about it, things love to live in water and keeping it free of things like cholera must take some doing.
Yeah chlorine is everywhere because it's used to make the water safe to drink, without it I hope you have a good, uncontaminated well, otherwise you can't drink tap water!
Yeah resistance is better organized to stop it since the 90s, but I think adoption didn't happen as much back in the day because of the very conservative government in place when it became normalized all over Canada (we call that period of Quebec's history the great darkness for a reason!)
Sounds like the residents of Quebec just have shitty dental hygiene, and I suspect the same in Ontario. It's just that the residents of Ontario are having their teeth taken care of by the government, because they can't do it themselves.
The same thing is seen all over the world when comparing places with and without fluoridation so I guess people in general have shitty dental hygiene so you can cut the holier than thou attitude.
Yea, small children just need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps!
What year is this? This was a scare back in the 1970.
Un-fortify the wheat now!
/s
"Precious bodily fluids..."
That's about the time the worm ate through his brain and stopped any further thinking.
It already starved to death.
"Immediately" means a tweet or Truth Social post by Trump that is so vague no one under him knows exactly what they're supposed to do to enact his order.
And then right back to Day 1 dictatorial stuff like imprisoning political opponents and the press.
Maybe it's the brain worm talking because the fluorine would kill it?
This made me laugh so hard, I spit my drink all over my desk. Well played, sir.
What fucking year is this? And while he's at it, that horses's ass can get tinfoil hats into circulation to protect against
God damn it, will all these fossils with their lead poisoned brains just die already?
I used to respect the hell outta my boss. Chief engineer, man can fix and diagnose just about anything. Then he started talking about this guy and how great he is... Like how can someone be so smart yet so so dumb? How can you not apply the same critical thinking into politics as you do into your work? Where does the disconnect come in?
My precious bodily fluids ! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xQyf3QgRP-c
Let’s bring back leaded gasoline and asbestos too!!
Seriously? The bit from Dr.Strangelove? I mean, it's not terribly surprising anymore but I still wish we could get these fucks on some stupid theory that kills them more directly and immediately so they take less of the rest of us with them.
It was a John Birch Society talking point at one time. It was condemned as a communist conspiracy. Of course. Just like civil rights are a communist conspiracy.
Anyway. A few years ago I discovered that my home town newspaper had digitized all the old issues and made them searchable online. I decided to search for family members.
Found my dad mentioned in a report of a hearing on fluoridation. He was talking about it being a communist plot.
Edit:
I just listened to this episode of revisionist history recently. If you aren't familiar with the beginnings of the shit show we're living in, you might find it interesting and/or horrifying.
https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history/john-birch-vs-the-pta
Is fluoride the new Frog-engayening agent? 🐸
Flouride makes teeth white. White light passing through a prism makes a rainbow. Therefore, fluoride makes my teeth gay.
RFK, Antivax shit head moron.
Wait what? Oh, for a second I thought he was going to remove Florida.
Reasonable confusion!
Make Cavities Great Again
Executive Order #1: No American shall receive more than ONE SCOOP of ice cream at a time, EXCEPT the Chief Executive.
Ignore that buzzing noise.
It's just the sound of 200,000 dentists rubbing their hands together at the thought of all the extra money they're going to make.
A lot of people don’t drink tap water so I don’t think there would be much of a surge
The vast majority of Americans drink tap water.
Welp, that explains the parasites.
Ah yes, RFKJR, the original cavity creep.
I guess I didn't need teeth anyway
The old John Birch society hated fluoride too. So much so, that Barry Goldwater took up the cause when he ran against JFK. Of course, he lost. Now they try to dress it up with junk science and it's RFK and Trump.
Such an ignorant man
In the universe of bad and crazy things that brain worm addled RFK jr. would do, this is one of the least bad and crazy.
It's quite bad and crazy though. fluoridated water helps to protect people's teeth, and all you need to do is drink tap water. This means that anyone with access to tap water will get at least some basic protection against tooth decay and all the health problems that stem from that.
Without fluoridated water, the people who do not have access to regular dental care (including toothbrushes and toothpaste) will be the ones who suffer the most. Those are the people who will end up in emergency rooms with infections, heart disease, etc. and will also not be able to pay the hospital bill, thus not only adding stress to already stretched thin emergency rooms, but also overall creating a larger financial burden on the industry.
Something something an ounce of prevention and all....
Not the lead. The fluoride!
PRECIOUS
BODILY
FLUIDS!
Did you do your own research on google?
Dude. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ger.12294 (and many other) actual research paper and meta analysis are saying you're wrong.
Literally why?? It's one of the most effective things we can do for the vast majority of our population. And every expert thinks it's a good idea. Some random bozo thinking it's "stupid" is fucking stupid, but apparently you're in good company with Kennedy here lol
WTF kind of question/argument is this?
"Kids these days, amirite? They don't drink any water but thank god they can be trusted to have good brushing habits!"
Along with a decline in having teeth rot and fall out, damn what a tough choice.
That isn't a decline in effectiveness you bozo.
You realize we add literal chlorine to water, right? Not some scary chemical with "chloride blah blah blah" in the name, actual chlorine. It only seems crazy to you because you're making an uninformed opinion based on your gut feeling instead of trusting experts and people who actually studied and work with water treatment plants.
You literally are disagreeing with decades of evidence that it helps populations and especially children, disagreeing with experts in the field, and agreeing with fucking RFK, Jr. Maybe take a second to pause and evaluate whether your initial, uneducated emotional response should have any fucking weight on this decision.
Lol what a great discussion and not just arguing about "how you feel"
What the actual fuck is your point here? All of my friends' kids drink mostly from the tap, or make food with water from the tap. Do you think children are only drinking cans of soda and Lunchables??
Literally not true, studies still show better outcomes for cities that add fluoride. A Canadian province that doesn't add fluoride has more cavities and issues than a neighboring province that does.
The mild fluorosis that is "risked" by adding fluoride is such a mild condition compared to teeth loss, weaker adult teeth, and cavities while growing up.
Being willing to understand doesn't magically convey the ability to understand. You sound like nurses that become anti-vax and think they know more about medicine since they had to memorize unrelated facts and know how to inject a needle.
It already is, fluoridization is not federally mandated. RFK is talking about federally banning it.
So you agree it's better to add it to the water until literally every person in the US has health/dental care and free fluoride treatments? I hope you're arguing for those, too, instead of just whining about how some utopian alternative that we are nowhere near to having would be better.
Your response to me saying that adding fluoride is best until the US has complete and free dental healthcare was to mention two European countries with with better healthcare than the US. So I'll repeat myself since you can't read:
If you live in the US then it should be obvious what will provide the best outcomes, since those other measures aren't in fucking place here.
It's not a poison, this type of bullshit fear-mongering just highlights how hollow your arguments are. You're arguing that the delivery method of fluoride is wrong, and then you call it a poison. Stop taking cues from anti-vaxxers.
It's not an evil, just because there's a hypothetical better way doesn't mean this way is bad. It provably doesn't have worse outcomes! How the fuck can it be evil? All your links just show it has "negligible effects" if fluoride is provided another way, none of them show negative effects.
Than you either don't live in America or you live in a much more well-off area then me. Over half of Americans drink tap water, and more than that cook with the water.
Brita and other filters don't remove fluoride from water, so drinking filtered tap water doesn't affect adding fluoride to the water.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/04/fluoridation-water-epa-risk-assessement
Honestly there have been studies linking fluoride to lower intelligence and there are many studies stating that it doesn't really make a difference in dental health. If you're brushing your teeth properly you'll be fine.
Most of Europe does the put it in their water and they're fine.
Edit: I say this as someone who absolutely does not want trump or rfk dealing with any of this. Even a broken racist worm ridden clock can be right once in a while
You can find studies saying anything you want if you look. Find a meta-analysis and see what it says about all the studies together.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3491930/
Yes, high concentrations of anything aren't good for you. That study found a negative effect at comparatively high levels, but did not quantify any safe level, let alone conclude the safe level is zero.
Based on known performance in areas with lower fluoridation (≤1 mg/L), it would suggest there is a safe limit that can improve dental health without neurotoxicity.
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
You know, I just love how no one is addressing why they think this is a bad idea with facts, they just rush to insult him. If this doesn't prove how toxic of a political climate we're in right now, I don't know what will.
The facts are presented and linked in the article.
Again, if you just read the article it covers these points. It discusses that the CDC does not mandate fluoride and it's not ubiquitous. It talks about fluorosis, and the health benefits of fluoride.
I can of course take care of my own teeth, but that's anecdotal. If the data suggests that fluoride in water is a safe way to reduce the prevalence of dental issues, I'm for it.
Source? It's funny how you come here without proof insulting everybody.
Dude I can look up “faked moon landing” and start reading, that doesn’t mean what I’m reading isn’t written by someone like you; who is lacking critical thinking skills.
Do you think you can search Google and do a better job than the whole of your government and governments around the world. Even in countries that don’t get along with your own.
Just read the article. The fact are right there backed by science and major health orgs.
Im JuSt AsKiNg QuEsTiOnS
Ok.