It just seems insane to me to ingest any bromine molecule and not expect it to react or oxidize in some fashion eventually.
This is why, in general, bromine is more trouble than chlorine is more trouble than fluorine: bromine can't bind as tightly to begin with, so it gets loose more easily. Fluorine is so reactive that elemental fluorine is just not a problem unless something has gone Truly Wrong. It can't be used as a chemical weapon in the same way chlorine can, for example.
At least some water systems are moving towards ozone treatment instead of chlorination.
Most households have a chlorine shaker on the table and many takeaway places offer packets of the stuff for free.