Florida becomes second state to adopts major public health initiative

Daily Mail​

16-05-2025

Florida has become the second state in the US to ban fluoride from its tap water in a move that is likely to appease RFK Jr. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law today, which doesn't explicitly mention fluoride but effectively bans the mineral by preventing 'the use of certain additives in a water system'. The ban is set to go into force from July 1.
It makes Florida the second state in the US to ban fluoride in drinking water, after Utah also passed the measure at the end of March. Their ban went into effect last week. HHS Secretary RFK Jr has also called for all states to ban fluoride, saying it makes 'no sense to have it in our water supply' and calling the mineral an 'industrial waste'. Fluoride was first added to the country's water supply in the 1940s after studies showed it could strengthen teeth and reduce cavities — with estimates suggesting that fluoridation now saves $6.5billion every year in dental treatment costs.
But recently, evidence has emerged suggesting that the mineral can damage brain cells and lower IQs. Last year, a bombshell US government report suggested that exposure to high levels of fluoride could harm brain development in children. Revealing he had signed the law, DeSantis said on X: 'Today, I was in Dade City to sign SB700, which among other things, prevents local governments from injecting fluoride into the water supply. 'Informed consent — not forced medication — is the Florida way.' At a news conference Thursday, he added according to NBC News : 'Yes, use fluoride for your teeth, that's fine. But forcing it in the water supply is basically forced medication on people. They don't have a choice.'
He argued there were other ways residents could get access to fluoride, such as via toothpaste, and stressed that the mineral shouldn't be mandated by governments. 'Some of these people, they think that they know better for you than you do for yourself,' DeSantis said. 'They think because they have medical training, or they have this, that they should just be able to decree how we live our lives.'
DeSantis' approach to fluoridated water falls in line with the Trump Administration's approach to health, which is that all decision-making power should fall on the citizen with limited interference from mainstream medicine. This has led to medical misfires like parents giving their children vitamin A as a treatment for measles, only for those children to suffer severe liver damage as a result. It is not clear how difficult it will be to remove fluoride from Florida's water, but the mineral is normally added at water treatment plants via pumps. States carefully monitor fluoride levels in their drinking water to ensure they do not exceed maximum recommended levels.
Almost all water naturally contains some amount of fluoride, which city water systems can choose to take out. In Pinellas County, Florida, for instance, the natural amount of fluoride in the water ranges from about 0.15 to 0.50 parts per million. The move to strip it from the water supply has been decried by major health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association. About 100 water systems across Florida add fluoride, though more than a dozen municipalities had been wrestling with whether to remove the mineral before the governor signed the bill.
Fluoride has had its skeptics for years fueled by public figures like now-health secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr, who has often promoted unproven claims that the common cavity preventative is dangerous. The controversy surrounding fluoride stems from a meta-analysis of dozens of studies showing children exposed to higher fluoride levels had lower IQ scores compared to those with lower exposure levels. Evidence suggests fluoride exposure above 1.5 ppm may slightly affect IQ, but water fluoridation in most of the US ranges from 0.7 to 1.2 ppm, with no direct link to IQ loss at these levels.
Similarly, when Juneau, Alaska, stopped fluoridating in 2007, cavity-related procedures rose 33 percent for children under seven, with the highest costs borne by Medicaid. Taxpayers covered these expenses, as the study focused on low-income patients. Poor oral health causes tooth decay, cavities, and abscesses, and can contribute to chronic diseases. Gum disease triggers inflammation and bleeding, allowing bacteria to enter the bloodstream. In pregnant women, this may lead to premature birth or low birth weight. It is also linked to heart disease, as bacteria can harden arteries, thicken vessel walls, and increase clotting risk.