At the press conference in Winter Haven, where officials recently agreed to stop adding fluoride to the town's water supply by the end of the year, Ladapo deemed fluoridating water "public health malpractice."
The state's top health official claimed the mineral increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disease in children and lowers IQ levels, echoing claims voice by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump's pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services — contrary to a half-century's worth of research proving that fluoride is safe and instrumental in preventing dental decay.
Early Saturday morning, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez took to social media to repeat the baseless claims.
"You're absolutely right @FLSurgeonGen," Gonzalez, who represents District 11, which encompasses West Kendall and the Hammocks, wrote on the platform formerly known as Twitter. "The science has been ignored on this for a long time, we need to act quickly and help save our residents from unnecessary toxins."
Readers had been quick to offer what X likes to call "added context" to Ladapo's issuance.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called community water fluoridation one of the ten great public health interventions of the 20th Century. The practice, which was first instituted in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1945, has significantly contributed to a decline in cavities and improved dental health among children and adults.You’re absolutely right @FLSurgeonGen The science has been ignored on this for a long time, we need to act quickly and help save our residents from unnecessary toxins. https://t.co/AuxK2mXENC
— Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez (@RobJGonzalezFL) November 23, 2024
The anti-fluoride movement has gained traction in recent years; it contends that the naturally occurring mineral poses a dangerous risk to developing brains. But public health experts say the 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water in community water supplies poses no health risk — and cite the extensive scientific research to prove it.
In tandem with Ladapo's press conference, the Florida Department of Health issued a "community water guidance" press release underscoring the state surgeon general's recommendation against community water fluoridation along with the unfounded claims that the compound is a serious safety concern for pregnant women and young children.
In a statement to New Times, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department Director Roy Coley emphasized that his agency regularly samples fluoride levels in the community water supply to ensure safety.
"Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department staff samples our drinking water more than 150,000 times a year — beyond what is required — to make sure we meet or exceed all local, state, and federal drinking water regulatory standards — including fluoride," Coley says.
Ladapo's assertions notwithstanding, Coley notes that the current scientific consensus is that community water fluoridation at appropriate levels is an effective public health measure that poses no health risks."
"The department’s current fluoride practices follow public health recommendations, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the American Dental Association (ADA), with the consensus that fluoridation is an effective public health measure, and affirming that controlled fluoridation at appropriate levels poses no health risks," Coley elaborates.
"The department remains committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our community and will adjust our fluoridation practices if needed based on any changes to regulatory requirements or scientific consensus."
