Clearwater is now on the growing list of Florida municipalities that are discussing a ban on fluoride in drinking water.
City Council member Ryan Cotton introduced the topic Monday during a workshop — making Clearwater yet another local government joining the national conversation on fluoride that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparked late last year.
“I believe it’s time to remove fluoride from our drinking water and prioritize public health,” Cotton said, adding that governments across Florida and in other parts of the country have begun to “embrace a cleaner way.”
The City Council is meeting again Thursday but members said they needed more time to research and allow the public to voice their opinions before making a decision. They are planning to vote in April.
“I wouldn’t say I was blindsided by this, but I had zero heads-up from anyone,” said Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector. “I cannot take a fair look at this issue in three days.”
This is not the first time the fluoride debate has divided Pinellas County. The commission voted to stop adding fluoride to drinking water in 2011 when critics of the chemical raised concerns that it could negatively impact the health of young children and lower their IQs. The vote made national headlines.
But more than a year after it was removed, the chemical was put back in the water after two new commissioners campaigned on pro-fluoride platforms and knocked two Republicans off the board.
“This seems to circle back every 10, 15 years,” said council member Mike Mannino. “It can’t be a decision that’s made through a political lens, it has to be made through a scientific lens.”
In November, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo released guidance that recommended against the use of fluoride in water. Experts have cautioned against this, saying that removing fluoride from drinking water could increase rates of tooth decay among children and low-income communities.
Most water contains naturally occurring fluoride, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it’s usually at a level that’s too low to prevent cavities. Water fluoridation allows governments to adjust fluoride levels in water to a concentration that helps fight tooth decay.
Council member Lina Teixeira expressed her openness to discussing the topic further, but, similar to Mannino, she emphasized the importance of objective data and said she supported a referendum on the subject.
“I am acutely aware of how a poorly designed study can have inaccurate assumptions,” she said. “If I’m going to make a decision based on people’s health, then I would like to have the input of the very people that are affected.”
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s drinking water will continue in the coming weeks and months. On Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners are discussing a proposed item that would ban the chemical in one of Florida’s largest counties.
Although Cotton, who was elected to the board last year, said he was understanding of council members needing more time to look into the proposed ban and the reported effects of fluoride, he remained steadfast in his decision to hold a vote — sooner rather than later.
“I don’t want to seem like I’m a wrecking ball,” he said. “I get that you guys want time.”
Original article online at: https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2025/02/03/clearwater-council-member-wants-ban-fluoride-city-drinking-water/