MIAMI – On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will sign a bill that effectively bans the use of fluoride in Florida’s water supply.
“It’s forced medication when they are jamming medication into your water supply,” DeSantis said during a news conference, acknowledging fluoride can help with dental health. “We have other ways where people can get access to fluoride. When you do this in the water supply, you are taking away a choice of someone who may not want to have overexposure to fluoride.”
The new law comes after debates in communities throughout Florida about whether to continue the longstanding practice of adding fluoride to drinking water to help with dental health.
Jackson Oberlink, legislative director for Florida For All, maintained that fluoridating water has been one of the nation’s most successful public health initiatives.
“Are cavities the new culture war? Is the water too woke?” Oberlink said.
Calling it “public health malpractice,” Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo advised local governments to stop adding fluoride to their community water supplies. The American Dental Association responded by claiming Ladapo was “misinformed.”
Fluoride strengthens teeth by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water is considered among the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
While Florida’s bill doesn’t specifically reference fluoride, it will require the mineral and some other additives be removed from water sources across the state.
About one-third of community water systems, serving more than 60% of the U.S. population, fluoridated their water, according to a 2022 analysis by the CDC.
The bill (SB 700) also bans most drone operations over agricultural lands and preempts local governments from regulating construction of housing for “legally verified” agricultural workers.