Charlotte Observer: “Union County joined at least two other local governments when it decided last month not to add fluoride to a newly constructed water plant.
County commissioners there voted 3-2 last month to not to add fluoride to its Yadkin River Water Treatment plant, which serves about one-third of the county’s population. Nearly two-thirds of the county’s water customers are in the Catawba River Basin, and they’re served by the Lancaster Water and Sewer District.
The decision came after concerns expressed by residents about “medical freedom” and information found on corners of the internet that fluoride was uniquely dangerous despite widely touted oral health benefits.
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”The argument is if this board, the Union County Board of Commissioners, has the authority to put a medicine or a medical substance in our water without the consent of the residents,” Vice Chair Brian Helms said. Those arguments have now spread to Stanly County.
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In the recommended amounts, fluoride in water decreases cavities or tooth decay by about 25%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported in 2018 that 73% of the U.S. population was served by water systems with adequate fluoride to protect teeth. The CDC named fluoride one of the 10 “great public health achievements of the 20th century.” In addition to the American Dental Association, the CDC, World Health Organization, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have endorsed fluoridated water.”