After pushing back on decades of forced medication through the water supply, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can safely rely on Florida.
Specifically, the Sunshine State has been added to the anti-fluoridation movement that is gaining traction across the US thanks to Kennedy’s support.
Florida is joining Utah in fighting government-mandated fluoride in public water systems.
The Republican-led state legislature passed a bill stopping the practice of adding chemicals to water for non-purification purposes, standing firm against establishment health organizations.
Florida lawmakers gave final approval to Senate Bill 700, setting the stage for Florida to become the second state to ban fluoride additives in public drinking water.
The legislation now awaits the signature of Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law despite opposition from dental and public health organizations.
Sponsored by Republican state Rep. Kaylee Tuck, the bill cleverly avoids explicitly mentioning “fluoride.”
Still, it effectively bans fluoride by preventing the use of additives for health purposes rather than water quality improvement.
“Anything that relates to water quality, removing contaminants, things like that, we’re not touching that. It’s anything that has to do with health. So fluoride, vitamins, whatever else it is,” explained Tuck.
This push to end fluoridation follows Utah’s lead, where a similar ban will take effect on May 7. The movement has gained significant momentum after Kennedy took office.
He immediately began questioning the decades-old practice of adding fluoride to water supplies, which affects approximately 60% of Americans through community water systems.
The DeSantis administration has expressed concerns that high levels of fluoride could potentially risk children’s intellectual development.
“This bill doesn’t hurt the wealthy. They’ll keep seeing private dentists, getting their expensive treatments and flashing their perfect smiles,” said Democrat Representative Daryl Campbell, who opposes the legislation.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava aligned with establishment health positions.
She criticized the legislature’s decision and said she was “deeply disappointed” by the bill’s passage.
She added 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.”
Defenders of personal liberty point out that water fluoridation represents government overreach because it forces medication on citizens without consent.
While organizations like the American Dental Association and the CDC have long promoted fluoridation, critics question why Americans should be subjected to mass medication through their water.
Some Florida communities had already taken action before the state legislation was passed.
They preemptively removed fluoride from their water systems in response to growing concerns about individual choice and potential health impacts.
American Dental Association president Brett Kessler attacked the decision:
“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. Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people, costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.”
Supporters of the Florida bill emphasize potential cost savings for municipalities.
They also argue for the fundamental principle that decisions about what citizens consume should be left to individuals, rather than being mandated by government agencies.
