News Health & Medicine

Fluoride in U.S. drinking water does not reduce IQ, a new study finds

The results counter claims used to stop adding the mineral to public water systems

A little boy leans over a kitchen sink to drink water directly from the faucet.

Adding fluoride to public drinking water has been hailed as a public health success for preventing tooth decay. But it’s also become a contentious political issue.

Tara Moore/Stone/Getty Images

By Elie Dolgin

Two U.S. states and more than a dozen cities and counties have moved in the past year to stop adding fluoride to community drinking water, citing research suggesting the mineral could harm children’s brain development.