Florida Surgeon General Orders All Counties to Stop Putting Fluoride in Water
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo has told all cities and counties statewide to stop adding fluoride to drinking water.
During a news conference in Winter Haven, Dr. Joseph Ladapo said all communities statewide should stop adding fluoride to drinking water.
“It is public health malpractice with the information that we have now to continue adding fluoride to water,” Dr Ladapo said, Highlighting studies show fluoride exposure causes lower IQ levels and mental health issues among children.
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Fox 13 reports: The debate over whether fluoride poses a health hazard when ingested goes beyond the brain, with critics arguing it could also cause dental and bone diseases.
Supporters of fluoridation, though, consider it one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Dr. Ladapo’s stance on the issue is in line with that of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has said he would recommend removing fluoride from drinking water nationwide.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now studying the issue more, as well, although it could take up to three years to find out the results.
“In September, a recent federal judge in San Franciso made a ruling against the EPA that stated that fluoride in drinking water at the current recommended level of 0.7 milligrams per liter poses a unreasonable risk of hazard to child IQ because there’s not enough of a margin of safety between the hazard level and the exposure level added to community drinking water,” said Dr. Ashley Malan, an assistant professor with the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Florida.
The history of fluoride in drinking water dates back generations, with researchers saying it is the primary source of fluoride for Americans and is a tool to help reduce tooth decay.
Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.
There are other sources of fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash. It also occurs naturally in many foods, like potatoes, spinach, grapes and most seafood.
Black tea and white wine also contain fluoride.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says parents should not use fluoride toothpaste for children under 2 unless recommended by a dentist, use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste for children 2 through 6, and avoid fluoride mouthwash.
A new tool will become available for Floridians to look up their addresses to see whether their communities add fluoride to their water.
READ: Megyn Kelly: ‘Everything Alex Jones Said About Fluoride Was True’