March 4, 2026The EPA on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to overturn a groundbreaking 2024 decision requiring it to regulate fluoride in drinking water, not by challenging the court’s finding that fluoridation poses an “unreasonable risk” to children’s health, but by arguing the judge overstepped procedural bounds. by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. / The Defender […]
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Earlier this year, Michael Connett, an environmental attorney and public health advocate who led FAN’s historic legal battleand victory against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the neurotoxicity of fluoridation chemicals, was asked to go on a speaking tour of New Zealand. Our friends at Fluoride Free NZ organized the events and FAN assisted with the travel […]
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Call to Retract Paper that Exaggerates Fluoridation Benefits and Ignores HarmsBy: Chris Neurath, FAN Research Director Key Points – 50-year-old data used for invalid cost-benefit analysis of fluoridation A widely publicized cost-benefit analysis of the effect of stopping fluoridation in the US [Choi & Simon 2025], claiming increased tooth decay and economic costs would result, […]
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May 3, 2023 | Fluoride Action Network Lead Industry Denial Tactics Now Used by Dental Interests Highlights: • Similar Loss Of IQ From Fluoride As From Lead • IQ Loss Seen At Doses From Fluoridated Water • Same Industry Denials, Personal Attacks On Scientists • Industry Tactic: Blaming The Victim • Fluoride Is The New Lead But […]
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This afternoon, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notified the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California that they plan to appeal the federal court ruling that water fluoridation “poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children.” The notice from the EPA did not offer an explanation or justification for their decision, which was made only three […]
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This time last year I made a video promising that 2024 would be “one of the most important years in fluoridation history,” but particularly for the fluoride-free movement and for the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). I called it “The Perfect Storm” coming to end water fluoridation. I think we can all agree that 2024 lived up to those […]
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Good news, friends! Seven years after filing, we have won our TSCA/EPA water fluoridation suit. In his ruling, Judge Chen explains his reasoning in detail. A PDF of the ruling is attached. Carol FAN director Stuart Cooper writes: History has been made. After 7 years of pursuing legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency […]
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The government review comes as a federal judge is about to rule on whether water fluoridation poses a neurotoxic hazard to human health A landmark National Toxicology Program (NTP) report on fluoride neurotoxicity has confirmed what experts have long suggested: that fluoride is comparable to lead in its ability to lower IQ in children, according to the […]
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The recent U.S. government-funded study (Malin et al., 2024) published in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) linking fluoride exposures experienced in fluoridated Los Angeles, California during pregnancy with a doubling of the odds of several neurobehavioral problems for the child, has received extensive media coverage across North America and also throughout the world. The study […]
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Los Angeles, California (May 20, 2024) – A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Monday found that in fluoridated Los Angeles, the children of mothers with higher fluoride exposures during pregnancy had double the odds of several neurobehavioral problems compared to mothers with lower exposures. Funding for the study was provided by the National […]
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In a landmark trial, the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) challenges the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) policies on water fluoridation. The case, brought forth by advocacy groups including Food & Water Watch, spotlights potential neurodevelopmental risks, particularly for fetuses and children. The trial resumed after a pause, focusing on expert testimonies regarding safe fluoride thresholds […]
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Bloomberg Law | Jan. 30, 2024, 2:30 AM PST | By Pat Rizzuto https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/fluoride-science-on-trial-in-case-with-broader-chemical-impacts Fluoride added to tap water to fight cavities for 75 years Judge to conduct rare, de novo review of chemical’s science The health effects of a cavity-fighting chemical backed by health providers for decades will be on trial starting Wednesday, marking a […]
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San Francisco: Plaintiffs’ attorneys had a good day at the courthouse on Tuesday, January 16th, in San Francisco, as a pre-trial hearing wrapped up before the start of a 9-day federal trial over the neurotoxicity of fluoridation chemicals, according to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Key Moments: The trial will take place in person in San […]
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The Fluoride Action Network (FAN) applauds the utilities staff and decision makers of Branson, Missouri–as well as the local residents who spoke up–for taking action to protect the community and public employees from the serious risks posed by the practice of water fluoridation. On November 14th, the Branson Board of Alderman voted unanimously to repeal their municipal ordinance that allowed […]
Read MoreTSCA Status Hearing This Monday REMINDER: the next status hearing for our federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the harm to the developing brain caused by fluoridation is scheduled for 9 a.m. (U.S. Pacific time) on Monday, December 4th. Watch the hearing live on Zoom:https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/j/1619911861?pwd=TjVma1lnMlJlNHR3ZE9QMkFjNkFndz09Webinar ID: 161 991 1861Password: 912881 Please note that our status hearing has been scheduled alongside […]
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A new study led by a California public health official and long-time advocate of water fluoridation omitted data that contradicted its conclusion that fluoridated water is not associated with reduced IQ, according to documents obtained through Public Records Act requests. Attorney Michael Connett has provided the unearthed documents to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) so […]
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A just-released study by University of Calgary researchers found “poorer inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility” in preschool children whose mothers were pregnant during times when the water was fluoridated in Calgary, Canada (Dewey 2023). The authors said their tests measured “executive function deficits […]
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The final report of a 6-year National Toxicology Program (NTP) review of fluoride neurotoxicity was blocked from public release by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Administrator in May 2022 according to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). But under an agreement reached in an ongoing lawsuit against the EPA, the report was made public today […]
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“Researchers say healthy thyroid function is crucial for fetal brain development and their latest research may explain earlier findings looking at fluoride and children’s IQ” A new study (Hall, et al., 2023) led by scientists from Toronto’s York University in the journal Science of the Total Environment linked fluoride exposure with an increased risk of hypothyroidism in […]
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At Thursday’s status hearing for our federal lawsuit against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the neurotoxicity of fluoridation chemicals, the Judge acknowledged that “justice delayed is justice denied,” ultimately ruling against the EPA’s request for additional delay of the trial. The Court also set a timeline for the final phase leading up to a verdict. […]
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BIG NEWS! The Court ruled in favor of our motion, and the lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court is moving forward, bringing us another step closer to a final ruling. The court recorded the proceedings and will release it to the public. I was waiting to include a link to the recording in this bulletin, but it hasn’t been released yet. When it is, the Fluoride Action Network […]
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The International Society for Children’s Health and the Environment (ISCHE) has awarded Philippe Grandjean, MD, DMSc, the Herbert Needleman Award in Children’s Environmental Health “for his […]
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Researchers looked in the wrong place. Couldn’t find IQ loss that other studies found. In a classic Mutt & Jeff comic a drunk is crawling around on the ground under a streetlight, looking for his dropped coin. A cop asks, “Did you drop it here?” and the drunk replies “No, but the light is better here!” […]
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Dear Friends, IMPORTANT NOTE: The next status hearing for our federal TSCA lawsuit was originally scheduled for October 20th, however the Court has now pushed it back a week to Wednesday, October 26th at 3:30PM (US Pacific) / 6:30 (US Eastern). We will keep you updated as the hearing approaches and provide Zoom login information so you can watch from […]
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On Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Court in San Francisco held a status hearing for our lawsuit against the EPA. The hearing was brief, as the Judge reiterated his longstanding desire to wait until the National Toxicology Program (NTP) has published the final version of their review on fluoride’s neurotoxicity before continuing with the trial. The NTP communicated to the […]
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The U.S. Centers For Disease Control (CDC) has partnered with the chemical industry to target 19 million residents in 32,000 small and medium sized communities across the United States that do not add fluoridation chemicals to the public drinking water. Using your tax dollars, the CDC provided funds to private business to develop a fluoridation delivery product […]
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“…toxicologists worry that dental-health gains have come at a cost.” One of the world’s most important scientific journals has published a special news feature on water fluoridation, focusing on the Fluoride Action Network’s federal court case against the U.S. EPA and quoting our legal counsel along with several accomplished neurotoxicity researchers. It’s a well-balanced piece that we […]
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A landmark study by Grandjean et al. has ust been published confirming that very low levels of fluoride exposure during pregnancy impairs the brain development of the child, and at a population level may be causing more damage than lead, mercury, or arsenic. The paper’s authors ultimately concluded that a maternal urine fluoride concentration of 0.2mg/L was […]
Read MoreBy Dan Ross on June 8, 2020 A federal court trial underway in San Francisco could spell the beginning of the end of water fluoridation in America, potentially affecting drinking water for hundreds of millions of people across the U.S.Although fluoride can occur naturally in water, many water utilities add the chemical with the goal of improving dental health. But an alliance of groups led […]
Read MoreIt’s official: the Fluoride Action Network–along with a coalition of environmental and public health groups–has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to their denial of our petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) seeking a […]
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