PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 17, 2022
Residents of the Boothbay region will decide next month if they want to continue fluoridating public drinking water, a debate that pits concerns about personal choice against public health benefits. “Fluoridating the public water supply takes away all of the ability for an individual to choose if and when they want to ingest fluoride,” said Anna Christina Rogers, who leads the Fluoride Opposition Committee. Fluoride is commonly added to public water supplies across the country and has long been recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The Maine CDC says the practice is safe, inexpensive and effective. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates and sets standards for how much fluoride is allowed in public water systems.