The Letter
As an inter-professional group of Dentists, Physicians, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, Chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals, we are writing to convey our support for legislation sponsored by Representatives Mark Hart and William Lawrence, and to inform you that we do not believe it is appropriate for the state to impose a state mandate to add artificial fluoride to the water supply for preventative purposes.
In August 2019, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the study "Association Between Maternal Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy and IQ Scores in Offspring in Canada" (Green, et al). In this study, maternal exposure to higher levels of fluoride during pregnancy was associated with lower IQ scores in children aged 3 to 4 years. These findings indicate the possible need to reduce fluoride intake during pregnancy. Unfortunately, as the Kentucky statute stands, many mothers across our Commonwealth have no choice except to continue to ingest artificially fluoridated water because it is not economically possible for them to purchase bottled water or afford the level of filtration necessary to filter fluoride from the drinking water. Since publication of this study, a plethora of additional studies on the effects of fluoride have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals across various disciplines.
We understand that not everyone will agree whether or not artificial water fluoridation should continue to be practiced. However, we assert that the state should no longer have the authority to force the addition of artificial fluoridating chemical into the public water supply. This decision will be better managed on the local level by the governing bodies of the water producers with input from the people who consume the water.
We, the undersigned, ask that our state legislators support this bill to repeal the mandate and allow local water producers to decide if the addition of artificial water fluoridation is in the best interest for the population.
Sincerely,
The dentists, dental hygienists, physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, physician assistants, chiropractors, and other medical professionals signed below