Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has called on the state governor and legislators to institute a statewide ban on fluoride.
Seven notes:
1. There is currently no bill filed to institute a statewide ban on water fluoridation, but Mr. Miller said in a Feb. 19 news release that the state's water infrastructure should not be used as a "delivery system for government-mandated chemicals."
2. The commissioner's comments come amid national debate about water fluoridation stemming from concerns about fluoride's impact on people's health. Debate heightened last year after the National Toxicology Program released a report linking higher levels of fluoride exposure to lower IQ in children.
3. Despite several organizations criticizing the report's research methods, several states and cities have begun reconsidering water fluoridation, with some moving to end the practice altogether.
4. Mr. Miller applauded efforts against water fluoridation in several states, including Florida, Utah, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and North Dakota.
5. The Abilene (Texas) City Council unanimously voted last year to temporarily ban fluoride in the city’s water supply, with members opting to wait for further guidance from the Trump administration.
6. Robert Kennedy Jr., the recently appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, said in November that President Trump would aim to remove fluoride from public water sources once he began his presidency.
7. Mr. Miller also endorsed Mr. Kennedy and President Trump's efforts to end "forced government health decisions."