MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that she is vetoing county legislation that would have stripped fluoride from drinking water.
During the mayor’s press conference on Friday, many argued the amount of mineral in the water is not harmful but rather helpful to residents’ dental health.
“That is why today, I am vetoing the resolution ordering the county to end fluoridation in the next 30 days,” said Levine Cava. “Dentists and medical experts, the same people that we rely upon to protect our children and our families every day, continue to affirm that water fluoridation is a safe, effective and efficient way to maintain dental health in our county.”
Miami-Dade Commissioner Robert Gonzalez said he plans to continue fighting to remove fluoride from the drinking water.
“I’m very disappointed in the mayor. I’m very disappointed,” he said. “You know, the county commission came together in a bipartisan manner, by a wide margin, to put the people, their health and freedom above politics. Unfortunately, the mayor decided not to do that today.”
Although for decades Levine Cava’s decision was mainstream, the view has been criticized in recent weeks after remarks from President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials, including Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who claimed continued consumption of fluoride could lead to early development issues in children.
For months, county commissioners have been arguing over the benefits and detriments of fluoride in drinking water.
During these meetings, seveal people talked about the nefits of the mineral in tap water, including preventing tooth decay.
“One minute is not enough time to really speak to the benefits that – the proven health benefits of fluoride,” said a man during a commission meeting.
But others warned it’s better to remove fluoride from the water supply, arguing in part that it’s harmful to children.
“We have a substantial amount of research that shows that fluoride is neurotoxic,” said Ladapo.
This has led to the county commissioners voting 8-2 on April 1st to approve taking fluoride out of the water supply. But on Friday, the mayor put a stop to that with her veto.
“Not just as your mayor, but as a mother and a grandmother, the health and well-being of our community is my top priority,” said Levine Cava.
Levine Cava cited recommendations from doctors, dentists, public health experts, residents and national medical groups, saying fluoridated water is needed to protect residents from dental conditions that can come from too little fluoride use.
“The science is very clear. The decision to stop adding fluoride to Miami-Dade’s water ignores the guidance of dentists and medical experts who are overwhelmingly by our residents on this issue,” she said. “They agree that fluoridating our water at the current low level is a safe and proven way to prevent tooth decay and support better health, especially for our children.
Miami-Dade County adds 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, the CDC-recommended amount.
Concerns pushed forward by opponents often focus on studies looking at much higher amounts, upwards of 1.5 milligrams per liter.
But Gonzalez said he hopes to see fluoride banned from Miami-Dade’s water soon.
“I’m very disappointed, because this is the same mayor that forced us to wear masks, the same mayor that demanded that we take a vaccine,” he said. “We’re going backwards, and I thought that we could learn from our mistakes.”
The fluoride war, however, is not over, as the county may still overturn the mayor’s decision. Gonzalez said he plans to make a motion on May 6 to override the mayor’s veto
Discussions about banning fluoride from water are ongoing at the state level, so whatever happens in Tallahassee will trickle down to the local level.
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