Florida’s Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, announced on Friday that he is advising against adding fluoride to community water. This recommendation follows a recent vote by a Florida city to remove fluoride from its drinking water.
One of the city commissioners mentioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s past statements on the issue as a reason for their decision.
Ladapo’s recommendation is based on concerns about the potential risks of fluoride, particularly for pregnant women and children. He stated that more research is needed to fully understand the safety and effectiveness of water fluoridation. According to Ladapo, the known risks of fluoride, especially for certain groups, outweigh any benefits.
The Environmental Protection Agency EPA sets limits on the amount of fluoride in water because too much fluoride can lead to health problems.
In 2017, a judge ruled that there was “unreasonable risk” related to fluoride in water, though it was not definitively proven that fluoridated water harms public health.
Kennedy, who has been chosen by President-elect Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has also expressed concerns about fluoride. He has suggested that the Trump administration may recommend that all U.S. water systems remove fluoride.
However, fluoride use in drinking water is decided by local governments, so it is unclear whether Kennedy could influence these decisions. Kennedy has claimed that fluoride is linked to several health issues, but many of these concerns relate to much higher levels of fluoride exposure than what most people get from drinking fluoridated water or brushing their teeth.
Fluoride, a natural substance, has been added to U.S. drinking water since 1945 and is widely regarded as one of the major public health achievements of the 20th century.