Narratives and the Water Fluoridation Controversy

Abstract

AbstractFluoridation is one of the most significant public health measures of the last century and yet also deeply controversial. Adding a small amount of fluoride in drinking water is a safe and relatively cheap approach to provide oral health in communities. But since its advent in the 1940s, there has been opposition to fluoridation, with a recent resurgence challenging some communities to stop the practice. The aim here is to explore some reasons why this happens, focusing on how different narratives can affect how people think about fluoridation. Some narratives are based on scientific fact, some on normative frames. Is each equally capable of affecting public opinion? Answers are sought through experimental survey questions whereby respondents are exposed to different narratives. This survey was administered in 2017 in both Canada and the United States, with a sample of more than 3400, possibly the largest survey that focuses on attitudes toward water fluoridation. Results suggest that although there is majority support for fluoridation, it is much easier to reduce that support than it is to increase it.