DeSantis Signs Bill to Make Florida 2nd State to Ban Fluoride Drinking Water Systems
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that made the Sunshine State the second to ban fluoride from its drinking water systems.
The Republican governor signed the measure at an event in Dade City after state lawmakers
At a Thursday event where he signed the bill, DeSantis
Fluoride is 'readily available now, so that led to this being put' in the bill to say that local governments 'cannot engage in this fluoride forced medication,' the governor added.
Some local governments in Florida have already voted to remove fluoride from their water ahead of the statewide ban. Earlier this month, Miami-Dade County commissioners voted to override a veto by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and move forward with plans to remove fluoride from the county's drinking water.
Some Republican-led states have moved to impose bans following a push by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop fluoridating water, and earlier this year, Utah became the first state to
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Fluoride is a mineral that has been added to drinking water since the 1940s to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Excess fluoride intake has been associated with streaking or spots on the teeth, and studies have also traced a link between excess fluoride and brain development.
Last year, a landmark ruling on the matter was issued by a federal judge in California who told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review the risks of adding fluoride to drinking water.
The agency was mandated by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen to make sure that there is a margin between the hazard level and the exposure level, his order said.
'If there is an insufficient margin, then the chemical poses a risk,' the judge said in the September order. 'Simply put, the risk to health at exposure levels in United States drinking water is sufficiently high to trigger regulatory response by the EPA [under federal law].'
In 2024, the federal National Toxicology Program
When Utah's governor signed its fluoride bill into law, multiple medical associations said they opposed such a move.
'With the weight of the evidence and nearly universal support of community water fluoridation in all corners of the health care sector, we urge your veto of HB 81,' said the American Dental Association (ADA), group that has long backed water fluoridation, in a
The ADA added that Utah's measure, which went into effect earlier this month, would 'take away the most effective, efficient and equitable way for dental disease prevention.'
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Newsweek
23 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Most Republicans Enrolled in Medicaid 'Worried' About Funding Cuts—Poll
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Why It Matters Republican lawmakers have advanced sweeping changes to Medicaid as part of their budget reconciliation package, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The bill, which passed the House in late May 2025, proposes to cut over $700 billion in federal Medicaid spending, threatening coverage for millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that more than 10 million people could lose Medicaid coverage if the proposal becomes law. Beds and medical equipment are seen inside the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort while docked at the Port of Miami, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida on June 3, 2025. Beds and medical equipment are seen inside the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort while docked at the Port of Miami, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida on June 3, 2025. 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"As such, it should come as no surprise a sizable number of Republicans either receive benefits from the program or know someone who does." The federal government currently pays 90 percent of Medicaid expansion costs, but proposed reductions would lower this rate, threatening financial stability for states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Changes could also introduce per-capita caps or block grants, limit the use of provider taxes to finance Medicaid, and roll back simplified enrollment rules implemented under President Biden. Together, these measures could force states to limit enrollment, reduce benefits, or impose new costs on enrollees. Republican leaders have tied these reductions to broader budget goals, including $4.5 trillion in tax cuts championed by former President Donald Trump. "Many of the heavily Republican-controlled states are often the highest per capita recipients of government assistance," Thompson told Newsweek. 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Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Problematic' MAHA report minimizes success of lifesaving asthma medicines, doctors say
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The Make America Healthy Again Commission report released in late May, parts of which have been widely criticized, alleges that American children are on too much medication of various kinds, including asthma treatments. Experts worry that the administration will set policy based on the assessment that would dissuade insurers from covering asthma prescriptions. They also say that the report's assertions could worsen disparities that affect children's access to those medications and undermine years of research around the drugs. The MAHA commission has until August to release a strategy based on the findings in the report. Black and Indigenous children as well as those living in inner cities or in lower-income households are among those with the highest rates of asthma. Pollution disproportionately shrouds communities of color and can be a trigger that exacerbates the disease. 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"They're somewhat cherry-picking some of the data that they're putting down," he said. "It says the U.S. government is 'committed to fostering radical transparency and gold-standard science' to better understand the potential cumulative impacts of environmental exposure. If that's what they're saying, then they should be funding even greater studies that look at the effects." Dr. Priya Bansal, an Illinois pediatric allergist and immunologist and past president of the Illinois Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said she's concerned the report doesn't define mild, moderate or severe asthma to differentiate the different best-practice treatment plans. Bansal also said she worries that federal officials' characterization of an FDA-approved drug will lead to insurance companies refusing to cover inhalers or oral steroids for her patients who rely on them. "I'm going to be worried about coverage for my asthmatics," she said. 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Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Georgia Dept. of Public Health confirms measles case in unvaccinated Atlanta resident
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