The Florida House passed a bill on Tuesday that would ban fluoride in the public water supply.
The legislation prohibiting local jurisdictions from adding the chemical to tap water now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) desk for final approval after lawmakers passed SB 700 in an 88-27 vote. DeSantis previously commented in support of the policy and is likely to sign the bill into law, which would make Florida the second state in the country to restrict fluoride usage after Utah did so last month.
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“Nobody argues, here at least, that fluoride has a benefit to your body,” Republican state Rep. Danny Alvarez, a co-sponsor of the Florida bill, said. “What we argue is that we can’t force you to have it, or any other drug, that some simple majority may believe is good for you in the future.”
Experts have historically recommended fluoride in the water supply as a simple way to promote oral health and cavity prevention. However, in recent months, the country’s health leaders, most prominently Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have expressed concern that overexposure to the chemical could facilitate negative health outcomes. Because fluoride has been added to an increasing number of commonly used items over the past few decades, including bottled beverages, processed foods, mouthwash, and toothpaste, the chemical should be reduced in the public water supply to diminish potentially harmful overexposure, Kennedy argued.
Earlier this month, he directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending community water fluoridation after pointing to various federal studies that have warned that increased exposure to the chemical is associated with lowered testosterone levels in men, “arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
States are following Kennedy’s direction, with Utah leading the country in March with the passage of a law banning private and government entities from adding fluoride to the state’s water systems.
In November, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued guidance against adding fluoride to drinking water in the Sunshine State due to data showing overexposure to the chemical could have negative neurodevelopmental effects on children exposed during pregnancy.
The Florida legislature’s vote on Tuesday comes after the state senate approved the bill earlier this month. At least 900,000 Floridians live in jurisdictions that have already removed fluoride, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The House bill does not explicitly mention fluoride. However, it would restrict the chemical’s presence in the water supply through a provision preventing local governments from using a “water quality additive” for purposes other than meeting drinking standards, improving water quality, or removing contaminants.
The head of Florida’s most populous county has criticized the bill, saying local municipalities should retain jurisdiction over fluoride policy.
“I am deeply disappointed by the Florida Legislature’s decision to pursue a statewide ban on water fluoridation, a decision that 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,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.
RFK JR. DIRECTS CDC NOT TO RECOMMEND FLUORIDE IN WATER SYSTEMS
Republican state Rep. Kaylee Tuck, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said it simply represented “consumer protection.”
“It’s consumer choice,” she said before the vote Tuesday. “I hope the politicized portions don’t get lost in every good thing this bill does.”