Florida becomes second state to ban fluoride in tap water under DeSantis-backed law
DeSantis signed the bill at a public event in Dade City, northeast of Tampa, 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."
Miami-Dade also moves to ban 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.
Fluoride ban controversy
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.
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'Right now, to me, it's a nonissue clinically,' said Barbieri, who has researched and written about the issue extensively. 'I don't worry about this in my day-to-day practice.' However, he's adamant that more needs to be done to maximize the safety of the products, that patients need to be educated about precautions they can take, and that manufacturers need to focus on getting the benzene levels in their products to what he and others say is achievable — zero. Product Heterogeneity Researchers have found a wide range of levels of benzene in products. That's good news, so to speak, in regard to fixing the problem. 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