An Alachua politician is questioning whether the county needs fluoride in the water.
Raemi Eagle-Glenn, GOP state committeewoman, has been vocal in her opposition to fluoride in Alachua County’s drinking water. Glenn calls it an “outdated practice” that needs to be heavily reconsidered.
“This issue has been ignored for decades,” Glenn said. “There’s evidence that fluoride causes lower IQ and neurobehavioral disorders, yet local and state leaders are dragging their feet, saying, ‘Oh, we just need to wait until there’s more evidence.’ ”
And she’s not alone. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo and Gov. Ron DeSantis also question fluoride in the state’s drinking water, even though health experts say fluoridation is safe, effective and essential to dental health.
“It is clear more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation,” Ladapo said in a press release last year. “The previously considered benefit of community water fluoridation does not outweigh the current known risks, especially for special populations like pregnant women and children.”
At a recent press conference at the Florida Capitol, DeSantis backed up Ladapo’s claims.
“Do we want forced medication or do we want people to be able to choose medication?” DeSantis said. “When you’re forcing it into the water supply, that’s not really giving people the choice.”
Meantime, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has backed a wide-ranging measure called the Florida Farm Bill that includes provisions that would bar public water systems from adding fluoride statewide.
“If COVID-19 taught us anything, it is that government has the ability to force health decisions without our consent based on emerging facts,” Simpson said in a press release. “Public water systems should be about fresh, clean, safe drinking water — not a means for delivering government prescribed medicine without the consent of the consumer.”
But medical experts say fluoride is important for those without access to dental care, and that its safety and effectiveness are well documented for the public.
“Fluoride helps strengthen teeth and makes them more resistant to acids,” said Dr. Johnny Johnson, president of the American Fluoridation Society. “We have great studies from around the world showing that after decades of fluoridation, there are no health effects, no IQ differences, nothing.”
In a Facebook post, Eagle-Glenn said she believes fluoridation is a form of “forced medicine” and has publicly criticized Gainesville Regional Utilities for refusing to talk about fluoridation and put it on agendas.
Johnson also dismissed the arguments that fluoridated water causes neurological harm and said the fluoride in Alachua County’s drinking water means residents get 25% to 50% fewer cavities, which greatly affects low-income individuals who may not have access to dental care. About half of Americans don’t go to the dentist yearly, he said.
“Untreated cavities can lead to severe infections that spread to other parts of the body, even requiring emergency surgeries. In some cases, dental infections can be fatal,” he said.
Toothpaste alone isn’t sufficient enough to prevent cavities and tooth decay, but works in combination with fluoridated water, he said.
“It’s like airbags and seat belts,” he said. “Both of them together give you a greater benefit than either one.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Florida Dental Association (FDA) continue to support water fluoridation.
Johnson said fluoride is a health issue and shouldn’t be political.
“Unfortunately, we have to get political sometimes,” Johnson said.
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