Fluoride protects teeth against decay, but adding it to the water has long been a source of conspiracy theories and conservative anxiety—see Alex Jones ranting about gay frogs for a recent frisson of fear along such lines. With Trump in the White House, RFK Jr. leading the Health and Human Services department and science itself in the crosshairs, fluoride is on the outs—and Texas is threatening toothpaste companies.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating two leading toothpaste makers over their use of fluoride, suggesting that they are "illegally marketing" the teeth cleaners to parents and kids "in ways that are misleading, deceptive, and dangerous."
The toothpaste makers in the crosshairs are Colgate-Palmolive Company, maker of Colgate toothpastes, and Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., which makes Crest toothpastes. In an announcement Thursday, Paxton said he has sent Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to the companies.
The evidence for fluoride's benefits is overwhelming at recommended concentrations and the claim it makes children dumber appears to come from studies of fluoride poisoning in rural India. The American Dental Association supports community-wide fluoridation.
Previously:
• Texas lawmakers considering a ban on 850 books. Here's the full list.
• Texas struck by meteor the size of a thousand-pound corgi
• Texas and Uganda pass new anti-gay laws
