Since 1990, the fluoride free movement has increased education, awareness, and fought for the freedom of choice for residents of communities around the world. According to representatives at the Fluoride Action Network, 2014 marks the single best year for the fluoride free movement to date. In total, the movement has eliminated fluoride in the communities of more than 14 million people globally.
Israel has officially ended water fluoridation, stoking the controversial issue on the global scale. On one side are dentists and organizations (including the American Dental Association) that support water fluoridation, saying it is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. On the other side, a growing number of scientists and world-renowned research institutions object to the outdated practice, with some naming it a sloppy and ineffective form of medicine. Most alarming was a paper published by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2012, in which researchers issue a strong word of caution against the use of fluoride in public water systems. Read more about this breaking story, and learn 8 reasons why health experts say to stay away from fluoride.
The fluoride free movement continues to see unprecedented momentum in 2013 as Israel announces the phase-out of public water fluoridation requirements. First put into action in 2002, Israel’s fluoridation mandate formerly required all municipalities to treat public water with fluoride. That mandate will be lifted within a year, however, empowering Israeli municipalities to reduce exposure to the potentially toxic mineral by going fluoride free.