(NewsNation) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. kicked off his “Make America Healthy Again” tour in Utah to discuss the state’s fluoride ban.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation Thursday barring cities and communities from adding the mineral to their water systems. The ban goes into effect May 7.
Kennedy announced that he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation for communities throughout the United States and that he will be assembling a task force to focus on potential health risks.
Dentists and the CDC have pushed back against claims of fluoride causing health issues, saying that the levels of the mineral in water are safe, and a nationwide ban will lead to medical problems that will disproportionately affect low-income communities.
In September, a federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to ramp up efforts in regulating fluoride in drinking water because of health risks like a possible impact on children’s intellectual development.
Kennedy has previously sparked debate about the safety of fluoride.
“I think fluoride is a poison,” Kennedy said in an interview in October of 2024. “It causes cancers, it causes your bones to deteriorate, and it causes severe IQ loss.”
While in Utah, Kennedy will address his other health initiatives, like food additives and restrictions on what Americans can buy under the SNAP program.
Kennedy is also expected to visit New Mexico and Arizona during the tour.