TALLAHASSEE – As cities and counties across the state debate the issue, the Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would prevent local governments from adding fluoride to water supplies.
The proposed ban, included in a broad bill dealing with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, comes after decades of communities adding fluoride to water to help prevent cavities and other dental problems.
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But with people such as state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo arguing fluoridation can carry other health risks, many communities have reconsidered the practice. The bill does not specifically mention fluoridation, but it would prevent adding substances to public water supplies that are not about “water quality.”
“We’re here to hydrate, not medicate,” bill sponsor Keith Truenow, R-Tavares, said before the Senate voted 27-9 to pass the measure (SB 700) on Wednesday.
But during a debate Tuesday, Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, said attacks on fluoridation are the “conspiracy theory du jour.” Opponents of the bill said eliminating fluoride from water supplies could particularly lead to dental problems for children.
“This has been proven science for the last 50 years,” Polsky said. “This is why we have healthy teeth.”
The fluoridation ban is included in what has been dubbed the “Florida Farm Bill,” which involves numerous issues related to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The House Commerce Committee on Monday approved a similar bill (HB 651), which also includes a fluoridation ban. That bill is ready to go to the full House.
If Florida passes a ban, it would follow the lead of Utah, another Republican-controlled state that approved such a measure in March. Debates have played out throughout Florida.
In one high-profile example, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava last week vetoed a decision by the Miami-Dade County Commission to end adding fluoride to the water system. In a statement, she said 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.”
But after the commission approved the ban April 1, Ladapo praised the move in a social-media post on X.
“What a win for the people! Today, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted to stop fluoridating their water. Comm. @RobJGonzalezFL’s courageous leadership, and all who supported him, made this possible. Current science supports the decision, and it’s a good day for medical freedom!” Ladapo said in the post, referring to County Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez.
Nine Democrats opposed the Senate bill Wednesday. In addition to Polsky, they were Sen. Kristen Arrington, D-Kissimmee; Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton; Sen. Mack Bernard, D-West Palm Beach; Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville; Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Tamarac; Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg; Sen. Barbara Sharief, D-Davie; and Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando.
Sharief, an advanced practice registered nurse, urged senators Wednesday to “stand with science.”
“This isn’t a debate about liberty,” she said. “It’s a debate about responsibility.”
But during the Tuesday debate, Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, framed the issue as being broader than fluoride because of the possibility other products could eventually be added to water supplies.
“First, it’s fluoride, and then potentially what’s after that?” Burgess said.