Florida has officially become the second state to ban fluoride in public water systems, signaling growing national support for rethinking what’s added to America’s drinking water. Signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Farm Bill (S.B. 700) takes effect July 1 and prohibits “certain additives” in water, including fluoride, a chemical long promoted by federal health agencies but increasingly questioned for its safety and necessity.
Echoing concerns long voiced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., DeSantis framed the move as a victory for individual choice and against government overreach. “This is about protecting our citizens from forced medication,” he said during the signing. Kennedy has called fluoride “industrial waste,” citing troubling evidence about its potential harm to the brain, bones, and thyroid, especially in children.
Despite decades of endorsements from agencies like the CDC, many scientists and citizens are asking whether mass fluoridation is outdated and unsafe. Studies have linked excessive fluoride exposure to lower IQ in children, neurodevelopmental concerns, and even potential cancer risks. While it may help with dental health in small amounts, critics argue that fluoride is now widely available in toothpaste, making its presence in drinking water unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
Utah passed a similar ban earlier this year, and bills are now moving in Kentucky and Nebraska. With Kennedy leading the charge to reform public health policy from the inside, fluoride’s future in U.S. tap water is facing more scrutiny than ever before.
