It's the Brian Larry Show on WNYC.

Good morning again, everyone.

And now we turn to our health and climate story of the week, as we're continuing to do on Tuesdays,

to make sure these issues

don't get buried in the avalanche of other Trump administration news. This week, the recent

statement by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that he is working to, quote,

change the federal fluoride regulations, to change the recommendations, unquote.

He praised Utah for becoming the first state to prohibit local governments from adding

fluoride to its water supply and believes that all public water systems should follow suit.

Fluorite has been in use in the United States since 1945.

Since then, it has drastically reduced dental cavities and improved

oral health and adults and kids alike. The Centers for Disease Control considers water

fluoridation, one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But at the same time,

late last year, 2024, the National Toxicology Program released a systematic

review of the published scientific literature. That review found that very high levels of

fluoride exposure, to be clear far more than what's in the current water supply in the United

States, was associated with lower IQs in children. So now some public health

experts are concerned that some pregnant people and babies might be getting more fluoride than they

need or should have, especially when combined with fluoride from other sources like toothpaste,

mouthwash, and water-based food and beverages. The question now

for the scientific community is far more nuanced than Kennedy's take. Does the current level of

fluoridation need to come down a bit? And if not, are there certain populations that should try to

...