Growing nationwide skepticism on the benefit of fluoride's use in public water supplies has driven communities throughout Florida to end the practice. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday afternoon he would sign a bill into law that bans fluoridation of public water systems, meaning places that have not removed the practice will have to do so.
United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ramped up conversations when he announced his intent to recommend fluoride's removal from public water systems in November. Now, Florida becomes the second state in the nation after Utah to ban the practice. Although the bill does not specifically name fluoride, it bars municipal authorities from adding water quality "additives" to local water supplies.
DeSantis, joined by state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, said the decision came down to personal freedom. He said he could not deny fluoride's dental health benefits, but each Floridian resident should be able to choose how much they are exposed to.
"You're taking away a choice of someone who may not want to have overexposure to fluoride," he said.
Fluoride's ability to strengthen enamel and help prevent tooth decay is the main factor in wanting it kept in water supplies. The Florida Dental Association released a statement shortly after November's election in support of continued water fluoridation.
Water fluoridation reduces cavities in children and adults by about 25%, according to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. It can serve as an avenue to help people with inconsistent access to dental care.
But the governor said there are other ways to access fluoride, such as in toothpaste, and the need for it in water supplies is overstated. He voiced concern about "overexposure" to fluoride and called it "forced medication."
"They're jamming fluoride into your water supply," he said.
DeSantis announced his intent to sign the bill, "Florida Farm Bill" SB 700, on the same day that Miami-Dade County commissioners overrode Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's veto of its decision to remove water from the county's water supply.
Throughout Central Florida, places like Melbourne, Lakeland and the entirety of Seminole County had already voted to remove fluoride from water supplies. And a city like Bartow, whose commissioners chose to keep fluoride in water supplies, now has no legal choice in the matter.
These moves all follow Ladapo's guidance in November 2024 to remove fluoride from state water supplies. The law will take effect July 1.
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