Arkansas legislators are not listening to recent studies on fluoride usage.
They’re mandating all cities and communities in the state with more than 5,000 people to fluoridate all water supplies.
The Arkansas state senate passed a bill, 25-7, that would force cities and towns to fluoridate water. The bill, which has been spearheaded by Sen. David Johnson (D-Little Rock), will impact the town of Fort Smith the most. It is the largest city in the state that currently does not use fluoride in water.
When the residents of this town have voted in the past, the votes were decidedly against fluoridation. In this case, however, they were not afforded the opportunity to vote.
The concern for residents of Arkansas is that they don’t want their water to be fluoridated, considering many recent studies indicate that certain amounts of fluoride can be harmful to humans.
There are many possible negative effects from fluoride, some of which include bone damage and a lower IQ.
Still, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, is working on a study that will assess exact numbers regarding how much fluoride a person can consume without danger. The Fluoride Action Network, which is a nonprofit group, wants the Arkansas legislators to hold off on letting this vote take effect until the EPA’s research is complete.
It’s conceivable that the study could show there are no actual benefits to fluoride. It’s also possible that the amounts of fluoride recommended by the legislators would not reach a harmful level.