_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is beginning the process of removing kids’ prescription drug products containing fluoride from the market.
Specifically, it is removing concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription products for children due to concerns over their unapproved status and potential impact on the developing gut microbiome.
The FDA's decision marks another success for the administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
_THE FACTS_
Fluoride — a mineral added to water and dental products to prevent tooth decay — was first added to US water supplies in 1945.
The FDA will remove products that contain ingestible fluoride for children, which the agency claims were “never approved”.
These products are primarily fluoride drops and tablets.
Commissioner Marty Makary wants to focus on sugar reduction and dental hygiene instead of altering microbiomes.
The FDA’s press release stated that “studies have suggested an association between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain, and possibly decreased IQ.”
A Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics review of 74 studies found a clear link between fluoride and reduced IQ in children.
Florida banned fluoride last week after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called it "forced medication on people."
Utah implemented the first statewide fluoride ban earlier this year.
Five additional states are currently considering similar fluoride bans in public water.
The removal process will take time: the “public comment” period, which is demanded by federal law for major rule changes, will run until October 31.
Follow the full story: MAHA and RFK Jr.'s health agenda
_INSIGHTS_
When fluoride was first introduced into drinking water, toothpaste did not yet contain fluoride, and was not used widely. However, the widespread use of dental hygiene products like toothpaste and mouthwash has made fluoride in drinking water less necessary.
This decision from the FDA signals that the Trump administration clearly embraces the growing movement in the US to scrutinize long-held beliefs on the safety of certain chemicals we are used to ingesting, even when that challenges the medical establishment.
It also indicates that Trump’s naming of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary was no symbolic gesture and was instead truly an embrace of MAHA.
