- Lakeland city commissioners voted to end the 44-year practice of adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water.
- The decision comes amid controversy surrounding potential health risks associated with fluoride, despite its benefits for dental health.
- Lakeland joins a growing number of communities in Polk County that no longer fluoridate their water.
(This story was revised to make a correction, add more up-to-date images and make minor edits.)
Lakeland city commissioners on Monday voted unanimously to end the 44-year practice of fluoridating the city’s drinking water.
The decision comes amid controversy surrounding potential health risks associated with fluoride, despite its benefits for dental health.
Opponents of fluoridation, including Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, have cited a federal report from the U.S. Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program analyzing other medical studies on how fluoride affects children’s developing brains and IQs. The federal report linked high levels of fluoride in drinking water above 1.5 mg/L and total exposure in foreign countries with lower IQs in children, USA Today reported.
Ladapo visited Winter Haven in November, about a week after that city abruptly stopped its fluoridation program. During the visit, Ladapo called fluoridation a “public health malpractice,” and issued the state’s first guidance against the practice.
But supporters of fluoridation say the National Toxicology Program’s report studied fluoridation in foreign countries —including Canada, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico — where fluoride levels are much higher than what’s allowed in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently suggests that communities add fluoride to bring their drinking water to 0.7 mg/L. The World Health Organization recommends fluoride levels not exceed 1.5 mg/L. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends families don’t drink water with fluoride levels higher than 2 mg/L, according to the USA Today report.
In Lakeland, the city’s water supply has a naturally occurring fluoride level that averages about 0.25 milligrams per liter, as previously reported in The Ledger. The city has added hyrdrofluorosilicic acid to reach the recommended level of 0.7 mg/L.
But that practice, which Lakeland started in 1981, will come to an immediate halt.
Public comment
Prior to the vote on Monday, Lakeland commissioners and Mayor Bill Mutz gave statements after nearly 30 minutes of public comment.
A nurse and longtime resident spoke against removing fluoride from the water system, “Let some other community roll the dice,” he said.
Another nurse, touting the benefits of fluoride, said the difference between fluoride being a medicine vs. a poison was in the dosage. He said that in 2011 Calgary stopped adding fluoride to its water system and dental infections rose 700% at a children’s hospital. Half of those children were younger than 5.
A tearful mother who called the fluoride a neurotoxin said she has two members of her immediate family with illnesses and pays a lot of money to filter out the fluoride in the water before they use the city’s water at home.
“I just think it should be up to the individual,” she said.
Others agreed, saying residents should have the choice.
“If it is safe and effective, you can’t force the medication on people. If it’s dangerous, you definitely shouldn’t force the medication on people,” a resident said.
An advocate in favor of fluoride said Ladapo had created a disservice to individuals and public health by misrepresenting facts on COVID and now fluoride. He characterized Ladapo’s stance on the COVID vaccine as poor guidance.
Where the commissioners stand
The board then approved a motion by Commissioner Mike Musick to discuss their views on ending fluoride in the city’s water supply.
Commissioner Chad McLeod said both sides had good intentions, but when it comes to the “question of consent, I don’t think I get to make that call” about what people put in their bodies.
Commissioner Stephanie Madden was concerned about the accumulation of toxins in the brain and bones, saying there was enough of a question about how that may impact people, especially those suffering with ADHD and Alzheimer’s.
“It comes down to access to dental benefits vs. the side effects,” she said.
Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley amplified concerns about toxin build up in human bodies, especially foods consumed with a “long shelf life” because they contained processed ingredients. She also raised concerns for members of the community who cannot take care of their dental health without the benefit of fluoride in drinking water.
Musick added that fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash can be used by advocates for fluoride. He said there are many who are very concerned and scared of fluoridating water supplies and with a vote to remove it, “We’ve at least taken away a fear.”
Commissioner Guy Lalonde said fluoride is an additive and unnecessary.
Mutz said he preferred to “leave the choice to every household.” He said, adding the supplement to the water supply was “inappropriate” in this case.
When will the practice end?
With the vote in favor of stopping the fluoridating of Lakeland’s water supply, the pumps to add fluoride to the water supply will be turned off immediately, effectively removing additional fluoride from the drinking supply.
The city will decide later what to do with the inventory at the plant that will be unused. City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said the current stockpile could take three to four months to deplete. City staff could also look for other options, such as selling it or trying to return it to the supplier.
After Monday’s vote, the only communities in Polk County that still fluoridate their drinking water are Bartow, Haines City and Auburndale, according to previous Ledger reporting. Polk County has never added fluoride. Lake Alfred stopped the practice in a unanimous city commission vote on Dec. 2.
Bartow, amid its own debate about whether to continue fluoridation, held a widely followed public forum on Feb. 18, which included Ladapo, American Fluoridation Society Johnny Johnson and dentists and medical professionals.
The Bartow commission is expected to make a decision at its March 17 meeting.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral in the soil. It can be found in groundwater and many foods, according to the National Institutes of Health. The mineral can inhibit or reverse the initiation and progress of tooth decay and stimulate new bone formation.
The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics point to research that found fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 25% in children and adults.
Still, some have begun questioning the continued need for fluoridated water, given the prevalence of fluoride in toothpaste and other dental products and its natural occurrence in water and food. Fluoride can be found in many foods, including shrimp, raisins, potatoes and oatmeal. Higher levels of the mineral are found in brewed tea and coffees, according to the National Institutes of Health, ranging from 0.07 to .22 milligrams per serving.
Original article online at: https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2025/03/03/lakeland-will-stop-fluoridating-city-water-after-commission-vote/81145412007/