JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida is set to become the second state in the country to ban fluoride from being added to public water supplies. The first was Utah.
Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to sign the ban into law because, he says, “It’s forced medication when they’re jamming fluoride into your water supply.”
MORE | ‘Forced medication’: Florida to become second state to ban fluoride in water supply
Joseph Ladapo, head of the Florida Department of Health said fluoride causes “adverse effects in children, reducing IQ, cognitive impairment, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says those claims are untrue.
The CDC said fluoride is one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, and it helps prevent tooth decay.
The Florida Dental Association agrees and calls Florida’s thinking flawed.
Dr. Merlin Ohmer, the immediate past president of the Academy of General Dentistry and a local dentist, joined News4Jax anchor Bruce Hamilton on The Morning Show.
He says it is important to take the politics out of this. Dr. Ohmer says the bottom line is that fluoride is effective in preventing tooth decay. And there are things parents can do to protect their children’s teeth.
Watch his full interview in the video player above.