'Being more nuanced will not be easy for public health agencies'

A fluoride pipe is seen at a water treatment plant in Austin, Texas.

Water fluoridation 'has benefits and is safe at the levels we use in the United States'

(Image credit: John Anderson / The Austin Chronicle via Getty Images)

published 13 November 2024

'There's a better way to talk about fluoride, vaccines and raw milk'

Emily Oster at The New York Times

Water fluoridation has "benefits and is safe at the levels we use in the United States," but "there is no good evidence of any health benefits associated with raw milk," says Emily Oster. But medical experts should "provide this level of detail." Just "saying that vaccines are good and raw milk is bad misses specifics that people find important." The "reaction from public-health officials often seems to be to yell the same thing, only more loudly. This isn't working."

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.