Mcxz comments on Water Fluoridation - Less Wrong

1 Post author: Alexei 17 February 2012 04:33AM

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Comment author: [deleted] 17 February 2012 10:14:32AM 21 points [-]

wiki doesn't mention this at all

Yes it does. In fact it has a whole article dedicated to it.

This quote seems especially relevant:

A major Australian study found no clear association between fluoridation and cancer or deaths due to cancer, both for cancer in general and also specifically for bone cancer and osteosarcoma,[7] and other adverse effects lack sufficient evidence to reach a confident conclusion.[13]

Comment author: Alexei 17 February 2012 03:26:06PM 4 points [-]

Thanks! Can't believe I missed that.

Comment author: satt 18 February 2012 03:33:57AM 2 points [-]

I notice neither that Wikipedia page nor the general water fluoridation page cover water fluoridation's alleged effect on IQ, although that's the main recent claim I've seen conspiracy theorists make about it. (My impression, based on a desultory skim through a few of the studies they refer to: they're wrongly inferring causality from fairly weak observational studies that compare people in different regions with different levels of fluoride in the drinking water. These studies normally take place in less developed nations like India & China where the water is more likely to have naturally high levels of fluoride — often more than is added in the US — and other toxic chemicals that could readily confound the results.)