In an article written for NBC news, Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta, speaks of the dire consequences associated with drinking raw water, a trend that is gaining popularity in North America.
There is a new movement to embrace the drinking of something that very well could cause dysentery, diarrhea, and a whole host of other potential illnesses: raw water. This is water that is unfilitered, untreated, and unsterilized.
This trend is particulary concerning because it counteracts efforts being made by scientists, researchers, and public health promoters who are working to improve the situation in low- and middle- income countries. Diarrheal diseases remain a leading cause of death in low- and middle- income countries due to contaminated water supplies, poor sanitation and hygiene. Lack of safe water is linked to communicable diseases such as cholera, polio, hepatitis A, and typhoid. It is therefore critical that researchers and health personelle continue to dispel 'health trends' that are in fact not healthful, such as the raw water trend.