HEALNC's Legislative Team has started monitoring the NC Public Health Commission's quarterly meetings for discussions about vaccines. They didn't discuss vaccines at their most recent meeting on February 7, 2024, but they did discuss fluoride in our drinking water!

Fluoride has been added to our drinking water for almost 80 years. On a recent episode of The Highwire, attorney Michael Connettspoke with Del Bigtree about the history of fluoride. The aluminum, steel, and nuclear industries used fluoride to create their products and the pollution that resulted became a liability issue. Those industries were influential in shaping the early research on fluoride, giving it a cleaner bill of health than the facts would show. The sugar industry also promoted fluoridation of water to distract attention from their product which was causing tooth decay.

Going back to the 1930's when fluoride was introduced as a public health intervention, scientists (including those in the Department of Agriculture) warned of the negative health effects of fluoride. Yet, for over 80 years, our health authorities have ignored these calls. 

So, what has changed to lead the NC Public Health Commission to suddenly take interest in this issue? Senators Lee,  Bode, and Sawrey sponsored the Water Safety Act of 2023 which passed via HB259 (the budget bill). It charged the Commission with reviewing the National Toxicity Program’s September 2022 draft report titled Monograph on the State of the Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects: A Systematic Review.

The Commission is required to review the report, as well as any other studies they find relevant to determining “whether sufficient evidence exists for a link between fluoride in the public water supply and cognitive decline or any other neurological detriment in children.”

Following their review, the Commission must report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly, including whether the current standard for fluoride is protective of public health or if it should be lowered. If it determines it should be lowered, the Commission will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to adjust the fluoride concentrations in the state.  

However, while the Commission was required to complete this review by February 1, 2024, it has not been completed. The Commission stated it is premature to review it because the National Academy of Sciences has suggested a number of revisions, and it has not yet been released.

Dr. Susan Kansagra reported in the Commission meeting, "If that report is released and the General Assembly seeks additional input on that, the appropriate body for that would be DEQ's (Department of Environmental Quality) scientific advisory board which works both collaboratively with DHHS and DEQ to review science."