Earlier this month, Florida became the second state in the U.S. to ban the addition of fluoride to public water systems.
The measure became official when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 700, known as the Florida Farm Bill, into law on May 15. As reported by several news outlets, the bill doesn’t specifically mention the word “fluoride” but instead includes language to amend water supply rules, “prohibiting the use of certain additives in a water system which do not meet specified requirements.”
Florida’s surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo has been a vocal opponent of fluoride and issued a guidance in November 2024 recommending against community water fluoridation.
Ladapo has clashed with the American Dental Association on the health impacts of fluoride.
Utah banned the addition of fluoride to public drinking water supplies in legislation signed by the Gov. Spencer Cox in March. That bill states that public water systems may not enact or enforce any ordinances enabling the addition of fluoride to drinking water systems. Notably, the Utah bill does not require the removal of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water supplies, which is already regulated via the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). To address the concerns about dental health, the Utah bill also enables the prescription of fluoride by pharmacists, rather than requiring a physician to issue a prescription.
Ohio and South Carolina are two states that are also considering similar measures, but several states have also rejected such measures.
Sources: Florida Dept. of Health, AMWA, ADA
Leave a Reply