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Florida is now the second state in the country after Utah to ban putting fluoride in all public waters. Tristan Wood of member station WFSU reports.
TRISTAN WOOD, BYLINE: Fluoride is a mineral used to fight cavities. It was first used in municipal waterways in America in 1945. Recently, politicians have been pointing to a mix of fluoride studies to push for banning the practice. One of those politicians is Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. He says banning fluoridation is the right move.
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JOSEPH LADAPO: It's OK to reverse your position when there's evidence. I mean, that's the right thing to do. You're in a position of leadership. You're there to serve people.
WOOD: The evidence he's pointing to is research published in JAMA Pediatrics, which looked at several studies outside of the U.S. It suggests a link between high levels of fluoride and a small decrease in children's IQ. The amount of fluoride exposure researched in those studies was much higher than what is added to public waters in the U.S. During the bill signing Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said public fluoridation robs people of medical choices.
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RON DESANTIS: Yes, use fluoride for your teeth. That's fine. But forcing it in the water supply is basically forced medication on people. They don't have a choice. You're taking that away from them.
WOOD: Several groups, including the Florida Dental Association, are critical of the move. Low levels of fluoride, as used in drinking water in the U.S., is generally considered safe and a key part of dental health. The association's president, Jeff Ottley, worries about negative oral health impacts on people across Florida. He's particularly concerned about poor children on Medicaid because not enough dentists accept it.
JEFF OTTLEY: They're going to have an increase in the number of cavities, increase in the severity of cavities. And then because we have such a shortage of Medicaid-providing dentists, they're going to be unable to find providers to help take care of those problems.
WOOD: The Florida fluoride ban goes into effect July 1.
For NPR News, I'm Tristan Wood in Tallahassee.
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