Latest news with #fluorideban
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Florida becomes second state to adopts major public health initiative
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.
E&E News
16-05-2025
- Health
- E&E News
Florida becomes 2nd state to ban fluoride in public water supply
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida on Thursday officially became the second state in the country to ban fluoride from public drinking water, marking a significant win for Medical Freedom groups aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Florida follows Utah, which became the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water in March. 'You should be able to talk to folks, your doctor, your friends, your family, whatever, on any of these issues, and then make an honest judgment about what you think is best for you and your family,' Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a Thursday news conference in Trilby. 'Forcing this in the water supply is trying to take that away from people who may want to make a different decision, rather than to have this in water.' Advertisement Libertarian-leaning Medical Freedom groups, which grew in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, convinced a handful of local boards to stop adding fluoride to drinking water in recent years. But they received a significant boost from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo after his formal recommendation against adding fluoride to public water supplies in November. Ladapo is a close ally of Kennedy, who has referred to fluoride as 'toxic waste,' and announced plans in April to ask the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Florida becomes second state to ban adding fluoride to drinking water
Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, on Thursday signed a bill making it the second state after Utah to ban adding fluoride, or any other additives, to drinking water. Legislators approved the bill last month that goes against the concerns of public health experts and medical professionals, who say the measure will increase tooth decay and cavities, especially in children. The law, however, aligns with the positions of two controversial senior figures, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, and Florida's surgeon general Joseph Ladapo, that adding fluoride, a natural mineral, to drinking water affects children's intellectual abilities. '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 last month. The website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meanwhile, still reflects that fluoride repairs and prevents damage to teeth and their protective enamel coating, as long as it is administered in consistent, low levels. In Israel, studies have shown that removing fluoride from drinking water supplies caused 'a significant increase in restorative dental treatments'. The bill signed by DeSantis on Thursday takes effect statewide on 1 July, and was touted by the governor as 'legislation to protect against forced medication'. It does not specifically mention fluoride, but 'the use of certain additives in a water system' is outlawed. 'Some of these people think they know better for you than you do for yourself. They think because they have medical training they should just be able to decree how we live our lives,' DeSantis said at an afternoon press conference in Dade City. He said fluoride was present in many toothpastes and mouthwashes: '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.' Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion According to the Florida department of health, about 100 public water systems across the state actively fluoridate their supplies of drinking water.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Florida becomes second US state to take drastic public health measure that will affect every household
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 name the chemical but amounts to an effective ban because it blocks the 'use of certain additives in the 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 Robert F. Kennedy Junior has also called for states to ban fluoride, saying it makes 'no sense to have it in our water supply'.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
DeSantis signs a bill making Florida the 2nd state to ban fluoride from its water system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure Thursday prohibiting local governments from adding fluoride to their water systems, making it the second state in the country after Utah to implement a statewide ban on the mineral. DeSantis signed the bill at a public event in Dade City, Florida, over the concerns of dentists and public health advocates. 'We have other ways where people can get access to fluoride,' DeSantis said at a public event earlier this month. 'When you do this in the water supply, you're taking away a choice of someone who may not want to have overexposure to fluoride.' State lawmakers approved the bill last month, requiring the mineral and some other additives be removed from water sources across the state. Utah was the first state to ban fluoride in late March, and its prohibition went into effect last week, while Florida's provision is effective July 1. 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. 'Water fluoridation is a safe, effective, and efficient way to maintain dental health in our county – and halting it could have long-lasting health consequences, especially for our most vulnerable families,' Levine Cava said in a statement defending her veto. Some Republican-led states have sought to impose bans following a push by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop fluoridating water. Earlier this month, DeSantis pledged to sign the bill and was flanked by the state's surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, who has attracted national scrutiny over his opposition to policies embraced by public health experts, including COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Fluoride is a mineral that has been added to drinking water for generations to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Excess fluoride intake has been associated with streaking or spots on teeth. And studies also have traced a link between excess fluoride and brain development. —- Stephany Matat and Kate Payne, The Associated Press Payne, who reported from Tallahassee, Florida, 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.
