Niceville will stop adding fluoride to its drinking water system starting January 15th after the council voted to end its introduction to the City’swater system.

According to City Manager David Deitch, Niceville was the last city in Okaloosa County that continued to put the element into the drinking water. “My recommendation to you [is] that the need to do that [add additional fluoride to the drinking water in Niceville] no longer exists. And so, my recommendation to you is that we cease that practice of putting fluoride in our drinking water,” Deitch said.

The four council members present voted to end the practice immediately.

A study by the National Institutes of Health reported findings, with moderate confidence, that the population – specifically pregnant women may be exposed to too much fluoride in their daily life, which could possiblylead to lowered IQs for their children. “Since 1945, fluoride has been a successful public health initiative for reducing dental cavities and improving general oral health of adults and children. There is a concern, however, that some pregnant women and children may be getting more fluoride than they need because they now get fluoride from many sources, including treated public water, water-added foods and beverages, teas, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash, and the combined total intake of fluoride may exceed safe amounts,” the study noted in its abstract.

The National Toxicology Program of the National Institutes of Health uses four levels of confidence: high, moderate, low, and very low to discuss its results. A moderate confidence level means “An association indicates a connection between fluoride and lower IQ; it does not prove a cause and effect. Many substances are healthy and beneficial when taken in small doses but may cause harm at high doses. More research is needed to better understand if there are health risks associated with low fluoride exposures,” according to the National Institutes of Health. ‘

Original article online at: https://midbaynews.com/post/niceville-will-stop-adding-fluoride-to-its-water