A bill introduced to the Florida legislature that is meant to support the state's agriculture would effectively prohibit all public water systems from adding fluoride to their water supplies.
Six notes:
1. Sen. Keith Truenow introduced Senate Bill 700 Feb. 13.
2. The bill, dubbed the "Florida Farm Bill," aims to support the state's agriculture and its agricultural workers with a number of measures. It would also prohibit the addition of any non-water quality additives into the public water supply beginning July 1.
3. Private water manufacturers would still be authorized to sell fluoridated water under the bill, allowing residents to choose whether they would like to buy it or not.
4. Legislators in support of the bill said the legislation aims to provide safe drinking water and increase transparency about what goes into their water supply, with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson adding, "Public water systems should be about fresh, clean, safe drinking water — not a means for delivering government prescribed medicine without the consent of the consumer," according to a news release from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
5. The bill comes after several Florida cities have already discontinued water fluoridation after Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, recommended against the practice in November, citing health concerns.
6. A recent National Toxicology Program report that linked higher levels of fluoride exposure to lower IQ in children sparked national debate about water fluoridation, but several organizations have criticized the report's research and reiterated their support for water fluoridation.