Hillsborough opts against removing fluoride from drinking water

Hillsborough commissioners shot down a motion to remove fluoride from the county’s drinking water.

Why it matters: Conservatives have fashioned fluoride into an issue of medical freedom, leading communities across Florida and the nation to halt the practice of adding the mineral to drinking water.

• This is the most controversial issue the board has waded into since expanding its GOP majority. Wednesday’s failed vote suggests Republican dominance won’t guarantee success for conservative causes.

Catch up quick: Firebrand Commissioner Joshua Wostal announced on Sept. 26 via X that he would introduce a motion to remove fluoride from Hillsborough’s drinking water.

• His post came after a federal court in California ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency and ordered that it further regulate fluoride in drinking water.

Inside the room: Public attendees at Wednesday’s meeting largely spoke in support of Wostal’s motion.

• A pediatric dentist cautioned against it, noting that she’s treated uninsured children in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities — and found cavities to be far more severe and widespread in the latter.
• Commissioner Harry Cohen (D) called the motion “irresponsible” and urged the board to host a workshop with medical professionals. Wostal countered that keeping the mineral in the water was irresponsible.
• With Commissioner Gwen Myers (D) absent, the motion failed 3-3 as GOP commissioners Ken Hagan and Chris Boles sided with Cohen.

Original article online at: https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/02/05/hillsborough-fluoride-drinking-water-florida