Federal trial against EPA on fluoridation postponed due to coronavirus

NEW YORK, March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A legal case challenging the safety of water fluoridation which was set for a two-week trial in April in federal district court in San Francisco has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.  The case against the EPA was brought by several environmental groups led by Food & Water Watch and Fluoride Action Network (FAN) under provisions in the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA).  Plaintiffs argue the neurotoxic harm to children presents an unreasonable risk and far outweighs any possible benefit to teeth, reports Fluoride Action Network (FAN).

Paul Connett, PhD, director of FAN, says of the scientific evidence:

"As of 2020 there have been 72 fluoride-IQ studies, of which 64 found a lower IQ among children with higher fluoride exposure. Many of the earlier studies were in places with elevated natural fluoride levels. There is now very strong evidence that fluoride damages both the fetal and infant brain at the levels used in artificially fluoridated areas."

"You only have to read four studies to realize that deliberately adding fluoride to drinking water unnecessarily endangers children's brains. Three* of these four studies were funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The first* came in Sept 2017 with a groundbreaking study from Mexico City. This study found a strong association between the amount of fluoride women were exposed to during pregnancy and lowered IQ in their offspring.

The second* came in 2019 when a study published in JAMA Pediatrics essentially replicated the Mexico City finding in Canadian communities.

 The third came in 2019 and found a staggering 284% increase in the prevalence of ADHD among children in fluoridated communities in Canada compared to non-fluoridated ones.

The fourth* came in 2020, when it was reported that children who were bottle-fed in fluoridated communities in Canada lost up to 9 IQ points compared to those in non-fluoridated communities.

"The level of evidence that fluoride is neurotoxic now far exceeds the evidence that was in place when lead was banned from gasoline.

"While we wait to prove our case in court, I urge everyone, including scientists, doctors, journalists and public health officials to read these four papers and not simply take the word of fluoridation promoters on the evidence.  The risk to our children's developing brains is so great it is unconscionable to delay warnings to pregnant women and parents."

SOURCE Fluoride Action Network