Politifact: Fluoridation of Water By Nazis an Urban Myth

Pinellas County Commissioners recently decided to end fluoridation of the county's water supply. One of the arguments brought up during the meetings was that fluoridation was used by the Nazis to pacify prisoners in their concentration camps.Is that true?

To find out, WUSF's Steve Newborn talked with to Aaron Sharockman of the St. Petersburg Times and Politifact Florida.

During the debate that preceded the vote, critics of water fluoridation said fluoride was originally added to the water in the Jewish ghettos created by Nazi Germany.

"History shows, actually, that in Nazi Germany, one of the first things that they did was add fluoride to the water in the ghettos where the Jews stayed," Matt Leffler of Clearwater said.

To find out if this is true, Sharockman interviewed Andy Hollinger, who handles media relations at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. His response: "He tried not to laugh as we explained our fact-check."

Politifact gives this idea a rating of "Pants On Fire."