Florida has become the second state to officially ban fluoride in public water. The ban takes effect on July 1.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill banning fluoride, saying at a signing event that “forcing it into the water supply is forced medication on people.”
Fluoride, a mineral naturally present in water, soil, and air, has long been recognised for preventing tooth decay. For decades, it has been a key additive in public water supplies and dental products like toothpaste to boost oral health.
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has opposed adding the mineral to tap water. He claimed that it’s associated with numerous health issues, including thyroid and cancer.”Ending the use of ingestible fluoride is long overdue,” Kennedy said.
Utah, also led by a Republican governor, became in March the first US state to ban fluoride in public water systems, a law that took effect this month.
Earlier, this week, the US Food and Drug Administration said it is starting the process of removing fluoride supplements for children from the market.
The latest action targets ingestible fluoride supplements that are given to children who are at high risk of dental cavities, which the agency said are not approved by the FDA and have been shown to alter the gut microbiome.
Kennedy’s stance has sparked sharp criticism from health experts who warn it could reverse decades of dental health progress. The American Dental Association has reiterated its support for community water fluoridation to help prevent tooth decay.
American Dental Hygienists’ Association President Erin Haley-Hitz said, “There is no scientific evidence that fluoride at the recommended low levels affects gut microbiota”.