With a push from RFK Jr., baseless fears about fluoride go mainstream Distrust of science could lead to the rollback of a public health tool with proven benefits

https://www.statnews.com/2024/11/13/fluoride-drinking-water-science-behind-controversy-rfk-jr/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--RH3Kc2GcTjD5cx9y7vTUrXFITcLLJ9nQ9ruNpEhn6UkKS3PMPVgeYGDyG-MDbEZT_aESD1-6uF05E-iqaJNpYn_y0OA&_hsmi=351081588&utm_content=351081588&utm_source=hs_email Water, the environment, and health Two recently published studies looked at the connection between health and water — one on PFAS in drinking water, and another on flooding. Authors of both studies used administrative health care data to find links between the environment we live in and our health: In 2014, PFAS (“forever chemicals”) were found in five drinking water wells in one Delaware county. A study, published last week in Environmental Epidemiology, found that people living in the ZIP codes served by these wells were at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypertensive diseases, coronary artery disease, and hyperthyroidism based on new health insurance claims, compared to people living in other places. In a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open, researchers looked at Medicare beneficiary data from 2008 to 2017 for more than 11 million people over 65. Those who lived in ZIP codes that were exposed to large-scale floods in that time were more likely to visit the emergency department and be hospitalized, especially for infectious diseases, metabolic and kidney disorders, and injuries. And in even more water news, it looks like Utah will become the first state to ban fluoride in public water. To learn about the science behind fluoride, read Anil’s story from last fall. Assessing the utility of healthcare claims data to determine potential health impacts of PFAS exposure with public drinking water https://journals.lww.com/environepidem/fulltext/2025/04000/assessing_the_utility_of_healthcare_claims_data_to.6.aspx?context=latestarticles&utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-91Ng41ejMJ3rDjIWrleq2io3ekBWhyAQsIFEHioxq-H1MJxdxa8K3JMYWb9v9UPvTN3RoKPsjaQZxJnAo8UlqtNBwxLw&_hsmi=351081588&utm_content=351081588&utm_source=hs_email Emergency Care, Hospitalization Rates, and Floods https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2831182?guestAccessKey=dab0c8ad-cdec-4466-981a-b865369e6030&utm_term=031025&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_medium=referral&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8t87fKiDfBij6PlLgpgbPbmE4pFTCCGKkh6FqMYQzVoK2d-jwBE6LJE-p4oHa5hs_FvbZwhdsPfMKhTocT8AgPS6KEBw&_hsmi=351081588&utm_content=tfl&utm_source=for_the_media Utah to Become First State to Ban Fluoride in Public Water Most public-health experts say the mineral additive is crucial protector against tooth decay https://www.wsj.com/us-news/utah-fluoride-public-water-ban-346da342?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--obodGlscg2Rpuwe4n0aQ-s9ga6Ho7onFf2zaDqyLaKqCfSRo_v-myR71m-CjdUi7Cff1K4QwIy5uYFwDlzi94fYULxw&_hsmi=351081588&utm_content=351081588&utm_source=hs_email