Florida has banned fluoride from its water supply.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed (SB 700) into law Thursday making Florida the second state (after Utah) in the country to ban municipalities from fluoridating their water supplies.

The bill doesn’t include the word fluoride. Instead, it references any substances not included on a list of acceptable additives — which fluoride is not.

The Florida Dental Association prioritizes the health and well-being of all Floridians and relies on research-proven methods to promote dental health across the state.

– FDA President Dr. Jeff Ottley

But DeSantis dropped the F-word plenty during a bill-signing ceremony and credited State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo with helping to get the ban passed.

“Joseph Ladapo has really led the charge by going to counties and saying forcing fluoride into your water is actually not good. There’s risks associated that. For pregnant women, for young people, for kids. And, yes, use fluoride for your team. That’s fine. But forcing it into the water supply is basically forced medication on people. They don’t have a choice. You’re taking that away from them,” the governor said.

The Florida Dental Association denounced the move, saying in a prepared statement it was “disappointed in Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature’s decision to end one of the most effective, safe and affordable protections against tooth decay.”

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“The Florida Dental Association prioritizes the health and well-being of all Floridians and relies on research-proven methods to promote dental health across the state,” FDA President Dr. Jeff Ottley said in a prepared statement.

Ottley went on to say that the FDA strongly reinforces that fluoridation is a naturally occurring mineral, not a medication, that is already present in the water in many parts of the country, including Florida. Water fluoridation has been researched for more than 80 years, and overwhelming, credible scientific evidence consistently indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe and effective at preventing and repairing tooth decay.”

It’s the second press event the governor held on SB 700 in the last nine days. He was joined by Ladapo and Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Wilton Simpson at the first event.

Simpson joined DeSantis again Thursday to praise the new law. Senate President Ben Albritton also attended the press conference.

Emergency fuel

Albritton championed a provision in SB 700 that creates Florida Retail Fuel Transfer Switch Modernization Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Subject to funding, the program provides up to $10,000 in grants per retail fuel facility to install or modernize transfer switch infrastructure to allow for the continuity of fueling operations when the stations are being powered by a generator.

Retail fuel locations in fiscally constrained counties could be awarded grants of up to $10,000. Gas stations in all other counties would be eligible for up to $5,000 in grants to cover the costs of the transfer switch and installation. The transfer switches must be capable of operating all fuel pumps.

Worth noting: The bill doesn’t contain an appropriation, so the grant program must be included in the state fiscal year 2025-26 budget in order to be operational.

Albritton predicted the grant program will be a game changer for Floridians during hurricane season, a time when power outages can leave residents locked out from filling their cars with gasoline, even when the stores have it available.

“So, when hurricane evacuation or when hurricane recovery is happening, those families will not have to search on, and on, and on, and on trying to find gasoline just to keep their family safe and get out of harm’s way. These switches will go a long way to making sure that we have generators that are connected to these places and will have access to that gasoline.”