IN-DEPTH: North Carolina Commissioners Vote to Remove Fluoride From Water

Doctor argues that the fluoride in water supplies is not medical-grade fluoride but hydrofluorosilicic acid, a waste product from the fertilizer industry.

Britney Bouldin speaks in favor of removing fluoride from the water system in Union County, North Carolina, on Feb. 5, 2024. Screenshot courtesy of Union County

The question isn’t whether fluoride is good or bad; it’s whether the public consents to being medicated without their agreement, according to proponents of a North Carolina county ordinance that aims to discontinue its use in the local water supply.

At the Union County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 5, commissioners voted 3-2 to remove fluoride from the county drinking water. The ordinance will still require a second reading and vote at the board’s next meeting on Feb. 19 because it wasn’t a unanimous 5-0 vote.