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November 20, 2025

Fluoride Disinformation Blitz: How Media Is Poisoning Public Perception

How the Mainstream Media Synchronize Coverage and Ignore Key Scientific Evidence

Recent media coverage claiming fluoride is completely safe ignores decades of research highlighting its potential risks. As reported by Sayer Ji , “The public is being sold a narrative of safety while evidence of harm is systematically ignored.”

A coordinated wave of articles attempt to dismiss legitimate concerns about fluoride’s impact on child development and IQ. This narrative downplays thousands of studies showing fluoride’s potential neurotoxicity, while promoting a single study by Warren et al. as the definitive answer.

What the research shows

Cohort studies in Canada Green et al., 2019 and Mexico Bashash et al., 2017 show measurable IQ reductions in children exposed prenatally or in early childhood. Research by Till et al., 2020, Riddell et al., 2019 and Grandjean, 2024 further highlights developmental risks, particularly for infants fed formula with fluoridated water.

Additionally, the U.S. National Toxicology Program identifies fluoride as a developmental neurotoxin, noting high confidence that elevated exposure reduces children’s IQ. These findings directly contradict claims that fluoridation is universally safe.

Legal and policy context

U.S. legal cases have halted or restricted water fluoridation programs, setting precedents for public health accountability and informed choice. These victories show that policy can be shaped by science and citizen advocacy—even when powerful interests defend the status quo.

The Warren study in context

While the Warren study is heavily featured in mainstream media, it has serious limitations:

  • Ecological exposure measures: Assumes everyone in a fluoridated community has the same fluoride intake, ignoring bottled water, filters, and personal habits.

  • Non‑specific dosage and duration: Doesn’t account for changes in fluoride levels over time or individual differences in consumption.

  • Test scores vs IQ: Uses school test scores as a proxy for intelligence — not formal IQ testing.

  • Selection and nonresponse bias: Significant drop-out over decades may conceal effects in vulnerable populations.

These flaws mean the study should not be treated as the final word on safety.

Why parents should be wary

Mainstream media—often aligned with or influenced by chemical and industrial interests—is pushing a narrow narrative. By spotlighting one study and suppressing the broader body of evidence, they mislead parents about the risks of fluoridated water. This coordinated messaging undermines informed decision-making.

As we saw with the false global COVID narrative, in Canada, outlets like CTV News published pieces from CNN and other U.S. media, repeating the Warren study and same simplified fluoride narrative while ignoring the real science. This shows a pattern of synchronized messaging that limits public awareness of the full scientific debate.

The bottom line

  • Fluoride is a neuroactive chemical, and independent research raises serious concerns, especially for prenatal and early-childhood exposure.

  • Media coverage disproportionately emphasizes a single, flawed study while sidelining hundreds of others documenting harm.

  • Parents and health professionals must critically evaluate the science and demand public health policies that prioritize safety and transparency.

Find more fluoride info at Fluoride Action Network, including a list of fluoridated cities in Canada and ways to take action.

 

Read the full Substack article by Sayer Ji here: The Fluoride Disinformation Blitz

Sayer is the founder of GreenMedInfo and co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom and Global Wellness Forum.

 

 

 

 

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