Florida has become the first state to recommend removing fluoride from its public water systems because of the risks it poses to children’s brains.
The mineral has been increasingly part of public debate since a bombshell government report published earlier this year and comments made by Health and Human Services nominee Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The report concluded consuming high levels of fluoride can harm brain development in children and is associated with a lower IQ.
Based on an analysis of previously published research, the report marks the first time a federal agency has determined ‘with moderate confidence’ there is a link between fluoride and IQ.
Florida’s Surgeon General Dr Joseph Ladapo said: ‘It is clear more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation.
‘The previously considered benefit of community water fluoridation does not outweigh the current known risks, especially for special populations like pregnant women and children.’
Dr Ladapo, who was shrouded in controversy over his response to the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine resistance, isn’t the first official to call for the removal of fluoride, which was added to water to strengthen teeth and improve oral health. RFK Jr said removing the mineral from water would be the first act he takes as an official in the new Trump administration.
The staunch anti-vaxxer has called fluoride ‘industrial waste’ and claimed it is associated with bone fractures, arthritis, bone cancer, thyroid disease and neurodevelopmental disorders.
However, much of the literature around water fluoridation shows the practice is safe.
The above image shows a woman filling a glass of water from a tap, amid concerns over the quality of tap water (stock)
Based on self-reported data from Florida, more than 70 percent of residents who rely on community water systems receive fluoridated water.
Adding fluoride to water has been touted as a great public health achievement, but doubt over its benefits and concerns of its health impact have been on the rise.
In Dr Ladapo’s announcement, he said ‘Floridians should be aware of safety concerns related to systemic fluoride exposure,’ including some of those that have been promoted by RFK.
Those are, he said, ADHD risk in children, behavioral problems in children born to mothers who consumed fluoride while pregnant, sleep distribution, premature puberty in girls, thyroid disorders, reduced IQ and increased bone fracture risks.
The announcement continued: ‘Due to the neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure, particularly in pregnant women and children, and the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health, the State Surgeon General recommends against community water fluoridation.’
Water fluoridation is standard national policy in the US, England and Canada, but other developed countries such Germany, Sweden, Scotland and Switzerland have discontinued it, arguing people now get enough fluoride through other sources, like toothpaste and mouthwash.
And earlier this year, a US federal judge ruled the EPA should reevaluate national regulations on fluoride, which makes teeth more resistant to substances that can wear down enamel and make them thin, weak and more prone to cavities and dental infections.
This map, from 2020, shows fluoride levels in untreated groundwater supplies. Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral and is often already present in many water supplies. Areas marked with a yellow or red dot have more than twice the level of fluoride in groundwater than recommended
Health authorities have long listed water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
In addition to preventing cavities and infections, the NIH says it has spared Americans hundreds of millions of dollars in dental medical costs.
Originally introduced to the water supply in 1944, the government has moved to add it to most public water systems, meaning roughly 72 percent of Americans that consume public water drink fluoride.
Since national fluoridation came around, rates of dental problems in children have declined, and the program is praised by dentists.
Critics, however, argue the potential harms caused by fluoride do not outweigh any benefits it may provide, and Americans get enough fluoride from other sources.
Dr Ladapo’s advisory said fluoride is already widely available in toothpaste, mouthwashes and applications from dentists.
Florida is not the first state to go down this path. Hawaii does not add the mineral to its water because lawmakers are split whether it will improve oral health in the state, which has the highest rate of tooth decay in children.
Hawaii Sens Mike Gabbard and Donna Mercado Kim have rejected fluoride recommendations, saying it equates to unnecessary mass-medication.’
