“This is the identical board that vowed transparency. The very leadership that said they would operate this utility the right way. And now they can’t even comply with a basic notification statute before removing a public health measure from the drinking water of hundreds of thousands of people,” Woodfin wrote.
Late last week, the City of Birmingham filed a lawsuit against CAW, alleging that CAW failed to provide notice of the change and seeking an emergency court order to restore fluoridation, according to local WVTM13. The city argued in its filing that removing fluoride from the water endangered residents’ dental health, particularly 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 suit. CAW told reporters that it does not comment on pending litigation.
Fluoride recommendations
The American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics endorse fluoridating community water to prevent tooth decay, especially in children. In areas without fluoridated water, medical experts recommend prescribing fluoride supplements for children.
Water fluoridation is considered one of the top 10 public health achievements. Still, since its introduction in the US in 1945, baseless fears and conspiracy theories have swirled around the practice. Those concerns have been stoked recently by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Although he has no background in medicine, public health, or science, Kennedy has rejected scientific evidence on fluoridation and made forceful, unsubstantiated claims that fluoridated water is unsafe. As health secretary, he has pledged to remove it from US water. A modeling study by Harvard University researchers last year estimated that if Kennedy follows through on that pledge, it would lead to 25 million more decayed teeth among children and teens in the first five years.
Health experts have also pushed back against the idea that fluoridation is unnecessary now that fluoride-containing toothpaste and mouthwash are available. In comments to NBC News, Scott Tomar, head of the department of population oral health at the University of Illinois Chicago, said: “It certainly is true that fluoride-containing toothpaste is effective at preventing decay, but it’s not true that that alone justifies removing fluoride from our drinking water.” Tomar warned that CAW’s decision to remove fluoride will increase residents’ risk of cavities. “It has probably put youngest children at the greatest risk, because that’s usually where we see it show up first when fluoridation stops,” he said.
