MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – For nearly seven decades, fluoride has been added to Miami-Dade County’s public water supply. This practice was widely accepted as a public good.
But the science, the availability of fluoride in consumer products, and the public’s relationship with public health institutions have all evolved. It is time our policies reflect that evolution.
On April 1, I am bringing forward legislation to end water fluoridation in Miami-Dade.
Some have asked why now. The answer is simple: public health policy should be guided by three principles — evidence, caution, and choice. Water fluoridation now falls short on all three.
Let me be clear — this is not a political issue. Despite what some in the media have implied, this effort is neither partisan nor ideological. In fact, the federal court case that has reignited this national conversation was decided by a judge appointed by President Barack Obama.
The current U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a Democrat, has long raised concerns about the health risks associated with fluoride. The last time this issue came before our Commission in 2014, the presentation was sponsored by a Democrat.
Questioning the government’s handling of public health policy is not partisan — it is responsible. And protecting public health is not about politics — it is about stewardship. A question about the role or performance of government need not come with a party label. It simply deserves a fair hearing.
The Environmental Protection Agency once recommended fluoride levels between 1.4 and 2.4 parts per million. That standard dropped to 0.7 ppm during the Obama administration, and now a federal court is requiring the EPA to reexamine even that lower threshold. Mounting evidence suggests that current levels may pose “an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.”
If what was once safe is no longer safe, and today’s standards are under scrutiny, what will be the standard tomorrow?
I don’t think we need 100 percent certainty to take measured action. Minimizing risk — especially when it involves pregnant women, infants, and children — requires nuance, not perfection. The right thing to do is to err on the side of caution.
Even if we assume, that some concerns about fluoride are overstated, there remains no justification for forced, mass exposure to a chemical that is already widely available through toothpaste, mouthwash, and dental treatments.
The benefits of water fluoridation are, by nearly all accounts, marginal in the modern era. The risks, meanwhile, are increasingly acknowledged. The balance has shifted.
The pandemic also left us with a broader lesson. Florida led the way because we did not allow for government overreach. Nonetheless, trust in government is fragile. It is rebuilt not with force, but with respect — for science, for personal responsibility, and for people’s right to make decisions for themselves and their families.
All of us have more data, better access to health care, and more ways to protect dental health without universal chemical exposure. Ending fluoridation is not a rejection of science. It is a recognition of updated science and informed consent.
I urge residents to view this matter as a public health reset. Let us move forward with humility, with care, and with the understanding that good governance begins with listening — and acting — when new facts come to light.
Roberto J. Gonzalez is the Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 11 and the Safety and Health Committee Chairman, representing the greater West Kendall area. He and his wife, Jessyca, are the proud parents of three daughters: Skye, Ava, and Leah.
Original article online at: https://flvoicenews.com/miami-dade-commissioner-fluoride-is-widely-available-it-no-longer-belongs-in-our-water/