Florida’s surgeon general on Friday recommended that cities and communities statewide stop fluoridating their drinking water because of the “neuropsychiatric risk associated” with exposure to the chemical compound.
The decision by Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, reflects a sentiment shared by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Ladapo is a leading contender for a senior role at HHS, Politico reported Tuesday. Advisers are debating whether he should be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. surgeon general, or Kennedy’s assistant secretary for health.
“Today, fluoride is widely available from multiple sources, including topical fluorides, such as toothpaste, mouthwashes, and fluoride applications by dental providers,” the Florida Department of Health said in a news release announcing Lapado’s recommendation. “Evidence shows fluoride strengthens teeth, making them more decay-resistant. However, additional research is being conducted to review the impacts of overall fluoride exposure in the population."
The Department of Health stated because of the “neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure, particularly in pregnant women and children, and the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health, the state surgeon general recommends against community water fluoridation.”
In 1962, federal drinking water standards were updated to include fluoride guidelines with recommended and maximum levels, according to a CDC timeline. The optimal fluoride concentration ranged from 0.7 ppm (parts per million) to 1.2 ppm, contingent on the local climate. More than 200 million Americans, or about 75% of the population, drink fluoridated water.
Decisions on the use of fluoride in drinking water rest squarely with states and local communities. There has been a growing debate nationwide on the subject.
In September, a federal judge in California ruled that scientific evidence of fluoride’s health risks when ingested at levels currently prescribed for drinking water — especially to the developing brains of infants — requires stricter regulation. He ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen regulation of fluoride in drinking water across the country.
One city in central Florida, Winter Haven, approved a resolution Nov. 15 to remove fluoride from drinking water by Jan. 1, or on a date “as soon as reasonably practical thereafter.”
Earlier this month in a post on X, Kennedy wrote that the incoming Trump administration “will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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