Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed legislation Thursday making Florida the second state in the country to ban fluoride from public water.
The bill doesn’t mention fluoride specifically but calls for a ban on “the use of certain additives in a water system.” It will take effect July 1.
Speaking at an event in Dade City, DeSantis framed the bill as part of a larger fight about medical freedom and about restoring people’s choices.
“We have the ability to deliver fluoride through toothpaste and all these other things, you don’t got to force it and take away people’s choices,” DeSantis said. “Yes, use fluoride for your teeth, that’s fine, but forcing it in the water supply is basically forced medication on people.”
DeSantis said fluoride has been proven to negatively impact pregnant women and children.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued guidance in November recommending against community water fluoridation, citing its potential health effects.
State lawmakers approved the legislation last month over the objections of dentists and public health advocates.
Utah was the first state to ban fluoride in the water supply. The measure took effect May 7.
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.
Florida’s bill adds to the growing backlash against fluoride. The push to ban the additive comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed skepticism of and sometimes outright hostility toward water fluoridation, which is considered one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance that helps to prevent tooth decay by strengthening and rebuilding weakened tooth enamel. Water fluoridation has occurred in the U.S. since 1945, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends community fluoridation as a cost-effective way to improve Americans’ oral health.
Major medical associations and public health groups — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dental Association and the CDC — also endorse adding fluoride to drinking water to help prevent cavities.
