Truth Decay

“Longtime denizens of this town of 20,000 recalled widespread tooth decay among children before the city council voted to add fluoride to the drinking water two decades ago. But a group of residents remained unconvinced.
They urged neighbors to do their own research, insisting it would reveal that the mineral embraced for generations to improve oral health was actually a dangerous substance that could harm their organs…The skepticism prevailed on Election Day as voters narrowly voted to remove fluoride from the water supply, mirroring how more Americans are starting to question a practice experts have lauded as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.” WaPo (Gift Article) with a look at the politics of science: RFK Jr. wants fluoride out of drinking water. Oregon shows what’s coming.

+ Related: “The number of measles cases around the world rose by 20% in 2023 compared with 2022, leading to an estimated 10.3 million cases, according to estimates released Thursday by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The surge in the preventable disease was driven by “inadequate immunization coverage.”