Five hours into a contentious council meeting Thursday, the city of Clearwater voted 3-2 to keep fluoride in its water system.
Council member Ryan Cotton introduced removing fluoride from the city’s water in February, citing public health concerns.
Several citizens spoke against fluoridation and what they characterized as the potential health risks of consuming it. Council members were also flooded with hundreds of emails opposed to fluoridation this week, a large portion of which were from people with connections to the Church of Scientology, according to a Tampa Bay Times review of emails obtained through a public records request.
As a part of the continued conversation, state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who introduced guidance in November recommending against fluoridation, spoke at a Clearwater council meeting Monday. He encouraged council members who supported fluoridation to be open to reports that question the side affects of consuming fluoride.
“This isn’t about fear or fringe science,” Cotton said Thursday. “It’s about facts, ethics and taking responsibility.”
Localities across the state have begun banning fluoride from their water supplies. On Tuesday, Miami-Dade County commissioners voted to remove it. The mayor there supports fluoridation of drinking water and could veto the legislation, the Miami Herald reported.
Florida lawmakers are also considering banning fluoride at the state level, which council members said they would like to wait on, considering that 37% of Clearwater’s population receives water from the county.
Cotton did not agree with that position.
“It’s just very disappointing that we’re going to defer to the state. What are we doing here?” Cotton said. “Sixty-three percent of our population would benefit.”
Council member Michael Mannino, hesitant because of the pending state legislation and the “intertwined” water system between Clearwater and Pinellas County, voted against the motion.
”I think it’s a little premature to make that decision,” he said.
Health experts have argued against information the state surgeon general has used to support his stance. Studies he’s cited regarding harm to children’s IQs were based on exposures to quantities of fluoride that were higher than the national drinking water standard, which is 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, they say. Clearwater currently has a level of 0.5, according to council members.
Fluoride naturally occurs in water but water fluoridation enables governments to adjust fluoride to the optimal level for healthy teeth. And removing fluoride, experts say, could increase rates of tooth decay among children and low-income communities.
Spend your days with Hayes
Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter
Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.
“The public health benefit is that a lot of kids in Clearwater don’t go to the dentist,” Mayor Bruce Rector said. “The reason we add it is largely for that part of our population, those kids who do not get dental care at all.”
Original article online at: https://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/2025/04/04/city-clearwater-votes-keep-fluoride-water/