MIAMI, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced his intention to sign a bill that bans local governments from adding fluoride to the community water supply.
Doing so would make Florida the second state in the country to ban community fluoridation. Utah passed a ban last month.
DeSantis will sign SB 700, a package of agriculture-related measures that includes a measure that bans the use of any additive to the public water system that does not improve water quality, including fluoride.
DeSantis said the move was the latest effort in the state to support medical freedom, likening it to Republican efforts to ban COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates.
“We don’t want local governments unilaterally injecting the chemical into the water supply and exposing people to potentially harmful side effects," DeSantis said at a news conference in Miami Tuesday.
“Today, we announce the drinking water will hydrate, not medicate,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “You should not be medicated without your consent. It’s plain and simple. This is one more way that we block trampling of personal liberties."
DeSantis was also joined by Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who issued a memo against community fluoridation back in November.
Ladapo said that fluoride exposure is linked to neurodevelopment issues, including IQ loss in children.
However, the studies being cited involved larger amounts of fluoride than the current recommended value for drinking water. Researchers say there is little data to suggest that fluoride is linked to health problems at the current federally recommended levels.
Dentists say fluoride is beneficial in reducing tooth problems, and several medical groups, including the American Dental Association, still advocate for community fluoridation.
On Tuesday, Ladapo likened the dentists, pediatricians and public health officials still supporting community fluoridation to Linus Van Pelt from “The Peanuts” comic strip, and his reliance on his trusty blanket.
“We’re adults, we’re responsible for, you know, for the lives of other people. We need to make good decisions,” Ladapo said. “So you just, you know, it’s really cute when you’re a kid, but you just can’t hold on to that blanket as a grown-up."
SB 700 also makes a number of other changes, such as:
- Bans the sale, transport, import or sharing of spores capable of producing mushrooms that can contain controlled substances like psilocybin
- Allows the Florida Department of Agriculture to make rules regarding the installation, maintenance and operation of electric vehicle charging stations
- Allows the agency to provide pest control certificate tests in person and remotely through a third-party entity
- Let’s the agency create rules to ban the sale of plant-based products that are labeled as meat or poultry products
- Bans local governments from restricting any facilities for agricultural education with groups like Future Farmers of America or 4-H
- Allows the agency to temporarily suspend a concealed carry license or application if the person is arrested or formally charged with a crime that would disqualify them from having a license
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.