Miami-Dade commission overrides Mayor Levine Cava's veto, votes to end adding fluoride to tap water
The Miami-Dade commission has voted to end adding fluoride to the county's tap water.
In Tuesday's vote of 8-4, commissioners overrode Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's veto of their original vote that approved the removal. That means in 30 days Miami-Dade will stop adding fluoride to the drinking water for more than two million county residents.
The elimination of fluoride from the public water supply ignited a heated debate among officials and community members.
Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who sponsored the fluoride removal item, argued that removing it from the water supply fluoride has broad scientific and public support.
"If there is a 1% chance that this will hurt our children, and you have the director of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) saying that there is no benefit in ingestion, only in topical care, then why are we going to put it in the water. Lets remove it. I think that's why the state has decided to remove it from the water supply," Gonzalez said after the vote.
Meanwhile, some Miami-Dade residents spoke out about the issue.
"I don't think fluoride should actually be in the water. I mean, why is it there in the first place? I know they say it helps with dental care and teeth, but I don't think it needs to be there," said Charles Timmons.
"It does help your teeth and not a lot of people, especially now a days with everything going up, have access to dental care so the fluoride in the water would help and I don't see a point of it coming out," Nyshelle Burns said.
Florida Legislature approves ban on fluoride in water supplies
Last month, both the state's House and Senate approved the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Package (SB 700) which bans fluoride in water supplies in Florida.
At the time, Levine Cava denounced the decision. She said a statewide ban would disregard the overwhelming consensus of dentists, doctors, and medical experts and would end a practice that has been in place for decades to protect our health.
"Fluoridation is a proven, safe, cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay and protect oral health for children and adults, particularly for families with limited access to dental care. No studies have shown that fluoridation at low levels is unsafe for our communities, including babies and pregnant women – in fact, it is vitally important for the health of developing teeth in infants and children," she said in a statement.
Levine Cava added that a decision on whether to remove fluoride from tap water should be left to local communities to determine what is best for their residents.
If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the bill into law, Florida will join Utah as the second state to ban fluoride in public water supplies. DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo support the ban.
What is fluoride and what are its potential benefits?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that's found in water, soil, plants, rocks, and even air.
Fluoridation has long been endorsed by major health organizations as a safe and effective method to reduce dental cavities. Still, critics argue for local choice and potential concerns about overexposure, prompting the recent legislative push.
South Florida dentist Dr. Karen Sierra emphasized fluoride's benefits for dental health.
"One of the main things that fluoridation in our city water has helped with is preventing cavities," Sierra said. "Fluoride strengthens the enamel and makes it much more resistant to decay in children and adults."
