BRADENTON, Fla. – Commissioners in Manatee County voted Tuesday to completely take away fluoride from consuming water – a apply that leaders not too long ago discovered has been suspended since 2021 as a consequence of damaged tools.
The 5-1 vote formally ends water fluoridation within the county.
Water fluoridation debate in Florida
The backstory:
In November 2024, Florida Surgeon Basic Dr. Joseph Ladapo suggested that each one cities and counties statewide cease including fluoride to consuming water, calling it “public well being malpractice.”
Since then, quite a few native governments – together with the Manatee County Fee – have both voted to take away fluoride or have taken steps towards doing so. Others, together with Hillsborough County and the Metropolis of Clearwater, voted to maintain fluoridating water.
PREVIOUS: Hillsborough commissioners decline movement that will take away fluoride from water provide
These towards fluoridation say it is an pointless additive, and that if individuals wish to use fluoride, it is available in dental merchandise.
Critics of fluoride additionally elevate issues over its potential impression on youngsters’s IQ ranges. A report cited by Ladapo discovered very excessive ranges of fluoride in consuming water seem to adversely have an effect on cognitive capacity.
The opposite facet:
Supporters of fluoridation say the oft-cited report has been misinterpreted. The metadata evaluation didn’t embrace any research of U.S. cities, as a substitute primarily specializing in locations in India and China the place fluoride ranges in consuming water had been greater than two instances that of U.S. consuming water.
The American Dental Affiliation, CDC, and Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics all advocate for fluoride use in public consuming water due to its capacity to enormously cut back the prevalence of cavities and dental illness, particularly in youngsters.
Fluoride: What’s it and why is it added to our consuming water?
Damaged tools in Manatee County
Dig deeper:
Previous to Tuesday’s vote, Manatee County’s water fluoridation had been suspended for the previous 4 years due to tools failure – one thing that commissioners, and the general public, solely not too long ago discovered about.
In January, Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique expressed concern that an ordinance merely went unfollowed for that lengthy.
“To me, it is simply not acceptable that we now have this ordinance in place regardless of beliefs… that we merely operated an incomplete and damaged fluoride software system,” Siddique stated. “I imply, the query turns into: what else are we not telling individuals? What else should not cleansing from our water provide? What else are we not doing? What different contaminants are we introducing?”
What’s subsequent:
Tuesday’s vote makes Manatee County the newest in Florida to take away fluoride from consuming water.
The Supply: Info for this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan, together with particulars from the Manatee County Fee assembly on April 15, 2025.
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