“This is the same board that promised transparency. The same management that said they would run this utility properly. Now they can’t even follow the basic notification statute before removing a public health measure from hundreds of thousands of people’s drinking water,” Woodfin wrote.
City of Birmingham at the end of last week filed suit against CAWlocal WVTM13 reports, claiming that CAW failed to provide notice of the change and seeking an emergency court order to resume fluoridation. The city argued in its filing that removing fluoride from the water poses a threat to residents’ dental health, including low-income residents and children who lack access to dental care.
When contacted by Ars Technica, the city of Birmingham declined to comment on the lawsuit. CAW told reporters that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Fluoride recommendations
The American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend community water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, especially in children. In areas where fluoridated water is not available, medical professionals recommend prescribing fluoride supplements for children.
It is considered one of the fluoridation of water Top 10 Public Health Achievements. Still, since its introduction in the United States in 1945, unfounded fears and conspiracy theories have swirled about the practice. Such concerns have been raised again in recent years by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Although he had no background in medicine, public health, or science, Kennedy dismissed the scientific evidence for fluoridation and made strong, unsubstantiated claims that fluoridated water was dangerous. As health secretary, he promised to pull the US out of the water. Last year, a modeling study by Harvard University researchers found that if Kennedy followed through on this promise, it would 25 million more decayed teeth in children and adolescents in the first five years.
Health professionals have also specifically pushed back against the idea that fluoridation is no longer necessary because of the availability of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash. Scott Tomar, director of the Department of Population Oral Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told NBC News, “It is certainly true that fluoride toothpastes are effective in preventing decay, but that alone does not justify removing fluoride from drinking water.” CAW’s move to remove fluoride will put residents at greater risk of cavities, Tomar said. “It probably put the youngest children at the greatest risk, because when fluoridation is phased out, that’s usually where we see it show up first,” he said.
