Florida is poised to become 2nd state to ban fluoride from public water
systems
[April 30, 2025]
By KATE PAYNE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is poised to become the second state to
ban fluoride in public drinking water, over the concerns of dentists and
public health advocates who say the mineral is a safe, effective way to
protect people of all ages from developing cavities.
Florida lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Tuesday after Utah
became the first state to pass a ban last month. The Republican-led
states are following a push led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr., who is setting the gears of government in motion to stop
fluoridating water.
The Florida measure now goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis,
whose administration has advocated against the fluoridation of community
water systems, arguing high levels could pose a risk to children’s
intellectual development.
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.
“As dentists, we see the direct consequences fluoride removal has on our
patients and it’s a real tragedy when policymakers’ decisions hurt
vulnerable kids and adults in the long term,” Brett Kessler, president
of the American Dental Association, said in a statement earlier this
month. “Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people,
costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.”
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, said bill sponsor Republican state Rep. Kaylee
Tuck.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks Feb. 5, 2025, in Miami. (AP
Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
 “Anything that relates to water
quality, removing contaminants, things like that, we're not touching
that," Tuck said. "It's anything that has to do with health. So
fluoride, vitamins, whatever else it is.”
Some local officials in Florida have already voted to remove the
mineral from their community water systems, ahead of state
lawmakers' push to ban fluoride.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Tuesday she is
“deeply disappointed” by the passage of the bill, adding that it
disregards “the overwhelming consensus of dentists, doctors and
medical experts and will end a practice that has been in place for
decades to protect our health.”
Levine Cava said that ending fluoridation, which is a safe and
cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay, will have “long-lasting
health consequences, especially for our most vulnerable families.”
The mayor said the decision should be left to local communities.
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.
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