DeSantis signs ban on adding fluoride

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that includes preventing local governments from adding fluoride to water supplies. The bill (SB 700), dubbed the “Florida Farm Bill,” makes a series of changes related to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“Yes, use fluoride for your teeth, that’s fine, but forcing it in the water supply is basically forced medication on people,” DeSantis said during a bill-signing event in Dade City. “They don’t have a choice. You’re taking that away from them.”

Cities and counties have added fluoride to drinking water for decades to bolster dental health but recently have debated whether to continue the practice. Florida joins Utah, which banned fluoride in March.

Among other things, the bill will restrict plant-based foods from being labeled milk, meat, poultry or eggs. The bill also will prohibit most operations of drones over agricultural lands, wildlife management areas or sport shooting ranges.

When DeSantis announced May 6 he would sign the bill, Florida Dental Association President Jeff Ottley issued a statement that said fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral already present in many water sources and is not a medication.

“Water fluoridation has been researched for more than 80 years, and overwhelming, credible scientific evidence consistently indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe and effective at preventing and repairing tooth decay,” Ottley said.