Portland's anti-fluoridation stance gains momentum
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Robert F. Kennedy has called for an end to the public health practice of putting fluoride in water. Portland, the largest city in the country without fluoridated water, made that decision decades ago.
Why it matters: If Kennedy's nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is confirmed, he would bring an anti-fluoridation stance to the highest levels of government, but voters in Portland first rejected fluoridation in 1956 and, most recently, in 2013.
- Statewide, just 26% of Oregon residents have access to water with added fluoride, ranking 49th among U.S. states, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State of play: Water fluoridation in the U.S. started in 1945 and 72% of the U.S. population served by community water systems receives fluoridated drinking water.
- The American Dental Association supports the practice, saying that research and studies show that "water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults."
- Fluoridation proponents have argued that failing to add fluoride is costly and neglects marginalized populations who may not have easy access to dental health care.
The other side: But concerns over water fluoridation have included fluorosis, when growing teeth are exposed to too much fluoride and develop white flecks or spots, and reduced IQ in children.
- Though there is some evidence of lower IQ in children exposed to high levels of fluoride, those levels exceed what is recommended by health experts for drinking water.
The latest: Hillsboro — a suburb on the western edge of the metro area — this month rejected a measure to add fluoride to its water supply.
What they're saying: "I think the results say that the people of Hillsboro do prefer having choice on whether they ingest fluoride or not," Matthew Sztelle, director of anti-fluoridation political action committee Clean Water Hillsboro, told The Oregonian.
- But the advocacy group Healthy Teeth Hillsboro said in a social media post that the outcome was due to "misinformation and scare tactics."
What we're watching: If Kennedy is confirmed and changes federal guidance on fluoride, decisions about adding it to water would still be up to local municipalities.