Utah set to become first state to ban fluoride in public water systems
Utah is set to become the first state to ban fluoride in public water systems, with a bill on the matter awaiting the governor’s approval.
Straight Arrow News
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida is set to become the second state in the country to ban fluoride from being added to public water supplies after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on May 6 that he planned to sign the bill into law.
In Miami, DeSantis, accompanied by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, said he’s signing the “Florida Farm Bill” (SB 700), which prevents local municipalities from adding fluoride to their water. The bill doesn’t explicitly mention fluoride, but rather bans certain additives in the water system.
Though the legislation also does other things, such as adding consumer protections and establishing the Florida Aquaculture Foundation, removing fluoride from local water supplies has drawn national attention and criticism from public health advocates.
Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by strengthening enamel — the hard outer layer of teeth — making it more resistant to acid from bacteria and sugary foods. Dental and health care experts say removing fluoride from the public water supply could lead to increased dental problems, such as cavities, which could affect poorer residents, often rural populations without dental insurance or otherwise limited access to dental care.
But during the governor’s news conference, behind a sign that said “Free State of Florida,” DeSantis said: “It’s forced medication when they’re jamming fluoride into your water supply.”
DeSantis’ comments come after Florida lawmakers gave final approval to the bill in late April. The new law is expected to take effect on July 1.
Florida officials and medical experts clash over fluoride guidance
DeSantis spent time blasting former chief medical adviser to the United States, Anthony Fauci, and the COVID-19 vaccine before talking about “studies that have raised concerns about physical and mental health risks that have been associated with overexposure to fluoride.”
Miami-Dade County commissioners also voted to override Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s veto and proceed with plans to remove fluoride from the county’s water supply.
“I think they voted the right way, so thank you,” DeSantis said. “For the counties that voted the other way, the legislation that we’ll sign is going to answer that question.”
The legislative move to nix fluoride additive from Florida’s drinking water isn’t a surprise, as Ladapo, who heads the Florida Department of Health, has backed arguments the American Dental Association has called “dangerous.” Bill supporters maintain that fluoride is naturally occurring in water sources and adding more is unnecessary.
In November, Ladapo told communities to stop fluoridating their drinking water, citing concerns over fluoride causing “adverse effects in children, reducing IQ, cognitive impairment, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
But the Florida Dental Association issued a statement saying Ladapo’s guidance against fluoride was “based on flawed and unscientific reports” and said it continues to “support … community water fluoridation as an effective tool in reducing dental decay.”
Florida latest state to raise concerns about fluoride risks
Water fluoridation has been proven to be so effective at preventing tooth decay that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, a time when Americans’ life expectancies rose by 30 years.
Despite careful adoption and a mountain of scientific evidence supporting its benefits to public health, American sentiment surrounding fluoride appears to wane as many water utilities have started to move away from the practice amid growing public pressure.
Utah became the first state in the United States to pass a bill banning fluoride in March after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began targeting fluoride in drinking water — a move that public health experts have widely disagreed with.
Scientists and dental health organizations have warned that Kennedy’s plan is disastrous for public health. The health secretary has said he will tell the CDC to stop recommending that cities and states add fluoride to public water systems.
Adding fluoride to water, a process called fluoridation, is not required by law.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, Hannah Yasharoff and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY; Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal