Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued a new guidance on Nov. 22, advising against the long-standing practice of adding fluoride to the public drinking water supply.
“Adding fluoride to water increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disease in children and reduces their IQ,” Ladapo said in a post on social media platform X. “We can strengthen teeth without consuming this neurotoxin.”
In his guidance, Ladapo states that fluoride, which is known to strengthen teeth and make them more resistant to decay, is “widely available from multiple sources,” such as toothpaste and mouthwashes, and cites several studies that found a connection between negative mental side effects and fluoride exposure during childhood and pregnancy.
Those side effects include an association with lowered IQ, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, as well as decreased child inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.
His guidance also cites a report published in August by the Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program, which suggested a connection between fluoridated water and lower IQ in children, and a U.S. District Court ruling that found “community water fluoridation at 0.7 milligrams per liter presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under the Amended Toxic Substances Control Act” and called upon the Environmental Protection Agency to take action.
The surgeon general announced his position in Winter Haven, Florida, which recently announced its own decision to remove fluoride from its public water supply.
Winter Haven Commissioner Brad Dantzler said the district judge’s ruling in September and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services are reasons that fluoride should likely be removed from the city’s drinking water. Kennedy has previously argued for removing fluoride from the entire nation’s water supply.
Ladapo admitted during his press conference to previously being in favor of fluoridation, which was seen as a public health measure. But the toxicology report and the district court ruling made him take another look at the issue, and he said he was appalled by the findings.
“Due to the neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure, particularly in pregnant women and children, and the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health, the State Surgeon General recommends against community water fluoridation,” the guidance reads.
Ladapo’s guidance also states that the Department of Health recognizes the benefits of fluoride and advocates for “oral and overall health” through other means, such as education, the screening and operation of dental services in schools, and the promotion of healthier habits in communities across the state.
The water systems of more than 70 percent of Florida communities currently receive fluoridated water.