TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday praised efforts by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo to push localities to remove fluoride to drinking water, saying he expects Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to soon follow suit.
Ladapo issued a recommendation in November warning municipalities, counties and other government public utility boards against putting fluoride in drinking water. Ladapo’s recommendation boosted ongoing efforts by libertarian advocacy group Stand for Health Freedom, which began a campaign two years ago and has since helped convince more than a dozen localities from using the additive.
The campaign began after the Medical Freedom movement surged in popularity as DeSantis and Ladapo fought Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the Biden administration.
Fluoride has been added to public water supplies since the 1940s in an effort to stop children from getting tooth cavities. But recent studies convinced Ladapo late last year that fluoride could also lead kids to have lower IQ scores and behavioral problems.
