Florida is on the verge of banning fluoride in public drinking water systems, a move that has sparked concern among dentists and public health officials. The decision contradicts decades of scientific evidence supporting water fluoridation as a safe and effective method for preventing cavities.
On Tuesday, Florida lawmakers finalized a bill that would remove the requirement for fluoride in public water supplies. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Ron DeSantis, whose administration has actively campaigned against community water fluoridation. The administration argues that high fluoride levels could negatively impact children's cognitive development.
This stance clashes with the established scientific consensus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirms that fluoride strengthens teeth by replenishing minerals lost through daily wear. The CDC recognizes the addition of controlled amounts of fluoride to drinking water as a landmark public health achievement of the 20th century. The practice has been instrumental in reducing tooth decay across all age groups.
“As dentists, we see the direct consequences fluoride removal has on our patients and it’s a real tragedy when policymakers’ decisions hurt vulnerable kids and adults in the long term,” Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Association, said in a statement earlier this month. “Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people, costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.”
While Florida's bill doesn't specifically reference fluoride, it will require the mineral and some other additives be removed from water sources across the state, said bill sponsor Republican state Rep. Kaylee Tuck.
“Anything that relates to water quality, removing contaminants, things like that, we're not touching that," Tuck said. "It's anything that has to do with health. So fluoride, vitamins, whatever else it is.”
Utah became the first state to pass a ban last month, approving legislation that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.
Fluoride has come under increased scrutiny under the influence of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is setting the gears of government in motion to stop fluoridating water.
Some local officials in Florida have already voted to remove the mineral from their community water systems, ahead of state lawmakers' push to ban fluoride.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Tuesday she is “deeply disappointed” by the passage of the bill, adding that it disregards “the overwhelming consensus of dentists, doctors and medical experts and will end a practice that has been in place for decades to protect our health.”
Levine Cava said that ending fluoridation, which is a safe and cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay, will have “long-lasting health consequences, especially for our most vulnerable families.”
The mayor said the decision should be left to local communities.
About one-third of community water systems, serving more than 60% of the U.S. population, fluoridated their water, according to a 2022 analysis by the CDC.
___ Associated Press writer Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report. Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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