logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
16m 41s

Does RFK Jr have a point about fluoride?

LiSTNR
About this episode

In Australia, community water fluoridation programs have been underway since the 1950s. It’s a practice endorsed by the World Health Organisation as an effective and safe way of reducing tooth decay.

But earlier this year Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., promised remove fluoride from water supplies, a move that Trump has endorsed.

RFK Jr, often labeled a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, claims fluoride is linked to conditions like arthritis, cancer, and lowered IQ. It’s a case his supporters say is strengthened by a recent US-government report which found a tentative link between high fluoride levels and reduced neurodevelopment in children.

So, is it really safe and is it time we give it a rethink?

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Brad McKay, GP and author of ‘Fake Medicine: Exposing the wellness crazes, cons and quacks costing us our health’ to unpack it all.

Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @listnrnewsroom
Instagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom
Facebook: @LiSTNR Newsroom

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
US tariffs attack our meds + Who wins from interest rate holds?
Afternoon Headlines: Australia is investigating "concerning" new tariffs from Trump on pharmaceuticals, QANTAS reveals around 5.7 million customers impacted by latest cyber-hack and Penny Wong refusing to confirm or deny reports she was targeted in a AI scam impersonating US Secr ... Show More
12m 28s
Yesterday
Trump slammed over Epstein list denial + Our 'underwater Chernobyl'
Wednesday Headlines: Democrats demand release of Epstein files as Trump hits out, Nagi Maehashi speaks out over her recipe in mushroom case, ‘Racist’ cop Zachary Rolfe responds to coroner’s findings, Queensland facing 54,000 workforce shortfall ahead of Olympic Games and the Stat ... Show More
21m 52s
Yesterday
What now? Two-minute mushroom trial recap
Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder, after serving up a beef Wellington dish laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms at a lunch at her home in 2023. She pled not guilty to all charges. In this special series of The Briefing, Helen Smith unpacks th ... Show More
1m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 4
The Fight Over Fluoride
For decades, the majority of Americans have been drinking tap water with added fluoride to improve oral health. But WSJ’s Kris Maher says that backlash to fluoride is spreading. Nearly 20 communities have halted the practice since October and Utah has now banned adding fluoride t ... Show More
19m 49s
May 21
Are we sure about fluoride?
Florida just became the second state to ban fluoride from its water system, which has made some public health experts pretty angry. Just how risky is fluoride really, and why is it so hard for us to get on the same page? Guest: Emily Oster, professor of economics at Brown Univers ... Show More
31m 24s
Jun 10
Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy
Is it just us, or does it seem like every other week there’s a new headline about some state or town banning water fluoridation? As it turns out, this has been going on for decades, basically since fluoride was first introduced. Why are some people opposed to fluoride? Is there a ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 18
Fluoride + Communism = Mind Control?
Fluoride and its presence in public water has become a hot-button issue in the United States. More and more communities and government officials are rethinking whether the benefits fluoride provides our teeth outweigh its potential health risks. But history shows fluoride is no s ... Show More
40m 45s
Nov 2024
Robert Fluoride Kennedy Jr.
If RFK Jr. leads the Department of Health and Human Services, he could radically reshape public health priorities in America, from vaccines to fluoride in the water.This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by P ... Show More
27m 27s
Apr 10
Fluoride: Is Your Water Safe?
The battle over whether we should be putting fluoride in our water has reached fever pitch. We’ve got U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and anti-fluoride activists saying it’s a neurotoxin that’s lowering our IQs. But supporters say that fluoride is a safe and effective ... Show More
43m 23s
Dec 2024
Aaron Siri: Everything You Should Know About the Polio Vaccine, & Its Link to the Abortion Industry
The New York Times claims the evil Bobby Kennedy wants to ban the polio vaccine and paralyze children. That’s an absurd lie, explains his lawyer Aaron Siri. (00:00) The Establishment’s Attempt to Discredit Bobby Kennedy Jr.(08:18) The Vaccine Religion(21:40) Did Anyone Protest Th ... Show More
1h 53m
Mar 2025
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong: You’re Being Lied to About Cancer, How It’s Caused, and How to Stop It
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is a surgeon who made billions inventing cancer drugs. He says that Covid, and the vaccines that didn’t stop it, are likely causing a global epidemic of terrifyingly aggressive cancers. (00:00) Why Are Cancer Rates Rising in Young People?(06:16) What Is Ca ... Show More
1h 54m
Dec 2024
CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell, 12/17/24
New charges revealed against the alleged killer of the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Investigators look for clues in the deadly shooting at a school in Madison, Wisconsin. Could the mineral fluoride be removed from drinking water? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m ... Show More
25m 20s
Jun 17
Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail
In last week’s episode, we traced the history of fluoridation (and the anti-fluoridation movement) to its roots in the early 20th century, but we left you wondering whether there’s anything to back up the health claims that anti-fluoridationists make. Today, we get deep into the ... Show More
1h 3m