Fluoridation Debate Resurfaces as NTP Revises IQ Findings

A 2024 monograph from the National Toxicology Pro- gram (NTP) reported an association between high fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children, reopening the drinking water fluoridation debate.Titled NTP Monograph on the State of the Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopment and Cognition: A Systematic Review, the report created confusion among those who did not read the revised version released Aug. 21, 2024.The revision concluded with "moderate confidence" regarding the association, a change from earlier drafts that had claimed a "presumed neurodevelopment hazard" but faced significant criticism during peer reviews by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.The report also emphasized that it does not address fluoridation of water in the United States and Canada, nor does it assess benefits or provide a risk/benefit analysis.