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Highland Falls keeps fluoride debate open after hours of testimony
Summary
After hours of pro‑ and anti‑fluoride testimony, the board left the public hearing on removing fluoride from village water open to collect more studies and expert input; no vote was taken.
The Village of Highland Falls continued a public hearing on whether to discontinue adding fluoride to the municipal water supply, hearing extensive testimony from residents, health professionals and educators on both sides of the issue.
An anti‑fluoride commenter who read a prepared statement cited several international studies and a National Toxicology Program monograph, asserting "the results from 18 of the 19 high quality studies... provide consistent evidence of an inverse association between estimated fluoride exposure and IQ scores." The board also heard competing testimony from residents who cited CDC and NIH guidance on fluoridation’s role in reducing dental decay: "the CDC... felt that the addition of fluoride to the water supply has been one of the 10 greatest contributions to public health in the 20th century," said one speaker who identified himself as a private citizen.
Trustees emphasized the need for objective, peer-reviewed evidence and public engagement. The mayor said the village will keep the hearing open while collecting additional scientific material and that the board may later put a question to voters; no formal decision or policy change was adopted at the meeting.
