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A conservative group in Kansas is lobbying for Topeka to remove fluoride from its water supply. They fear that water fluoridation by the city is lowering legislators' IQs.

The Kansas Republican Assembly is a conservative group in the Midwestern state. They are campaigning against fluoridation by issuing a letter to each legislator in the city council, according to the Huffington Post. The group says that, by removing fluoride from the state capital's water supply, it would save the city a significant amount of money and also be positive for the residents of the city. The 33 members of the group present at the meeting unanimously approved the motion to target water fluoridation in the state capital.

According to a letter issued by the Kansas Republican Assembly, the request is based on a study that was conducted last year by the Harvard University School of Public Health. The study found that children who were exposed to water fluoridation had lower IQs than children who were not. However, the study was conducted in China, and it was conducted among children. Though a representative from the group told the Huffington Post that the effects likely appeared in adults, the study cannot verify that. In addition, critics of the study have pointed out the many other studies that have found that fluoride in water is not harmful.

Mark Getizen, the President of the group, said that fluoride was placed in the water supply in order to prevent tooth decay. However, he notes that fluoride is available through other sources, like toothpaste - the labels of which state not to swallow it. In addition to the possible effect that fluoride may have on IQ, he worries that the substance can cause brittle bones and prostate problems.

One legislator who spoke to the Huffington Post said that he had not yet received a letter.

The Kansas Republican Assembly is hardly the first group to target water fluoridation. A website called FluorideAlert.org has a list of 50 reasons to oppose fluoridation in the water supply. In addition to some of Getizen's talking points, the list says that fluoridation is unethical and that it may lead to thyroid issues.