Hillsborough commissioners decline motion that would remove fluoride from water supply

Hillsborough County commissioners declined to pass a motion that would have removed fluoride from the county’s water supply on Wednesday. 

Listed as an "off-the-agenda" item, Commissioner Joshua Wostal’s motion to stop adding fluoride to the county’s water supply was discussed by commissioners for roughly 15 minutes during Wednesday’s meeting. Commissioners Wostal, Christine Miller, and Donna Cameron Cepeda voted yes. Commissioners Chris Boles, Harry Cohen, and Ken Hagan voted no. Commissioner Gwen Myers didn’t vote. 

Since the motion did not pass, fluoride will remain in Hillsborough County water. Residents on both sides of the issue addressed commissioners during public comment. 

What they're saying:

"I believe that reasonable people can look at new legal rulings and empirical data and say, ‘hey, this might be unhealthy for our children,’ and we should take every action possible to protect them," Wostal said. "If there is even one iota of a chance that it could hurt children, I believe that that's something that I could never have my conscience on supporting."

"What I was told over and over again by the dentists that I spoke to this week is that this has been one of the most successful public health initiatives that's ever taken place over a period of a century," Cohen said. "There is a very, very real risk that by removing the fluoride from water, we're going to have an entire generation of people with major dental issues, particularly lower economic people who don't have the benefit of regular dental care."

Cohen suggested organizing a future workshop where medical experts on both sides of the issue could get together with county leaders to discuss a change down the line. However, nothing was set in stone or agreed upon on Wednesday. 

The fight over fluoride

The backstory:

The fluoride debate picked up across the state in November 2024 when Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo advised that all cities and counties statewide stop adding fluoride to drinking water, calling it "public health malpractice."

Ladapo cited a National Toxicology Program meta-analysis of studies suggesting a link between fluoride in drinking water and lower IQs among children. It should be noted that none of the studies in that analysis came from the U.S., with many originating overseas.

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The state's stance on the issue is the same as that of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose nomination by President Donald Trump for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services now heads to a full Senate vote.

Since November, several local governments in the Tampa Bay area – including Winter Haven, Lakeland, Clearwater, Pinellas County and Manatee County – have either begun debating whether to remove fluoride or have already voted to do so.

Fluoride in tap water.

Fluoride in tap water.

Hillsborough County fluoride fight

Local perspective:

Commissioner Wostal took up the issue, also citing previous research mentioned by Ladapo.

"We're not going to risk lowering the IQ of children unwittingly because you, the EPA or Hillsborough County Government's water department, have no idea what other fluoride is being ingested by those children that might unwittingly jump them up to the known levels of lowering their IQ," Wostal said.

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The other side:

The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

According to the U.S. Public Health Service, water fluoridation has reduced the rate of cavities in children by 58%, saving about $6.5 billion in dental treatment costs each year.

Fluoride: What is it and why is it added to our drinking water?

Dentists warn that removing fluoride from water will lead to a significant rise in cavities and dental disease, especially in children.

"The report that came out of the University of Florida from the College of Public Health and Health Professions looked at fluoride levels that were three to four times higher than the amount that's recommended in water for regular community water fluoridation. So it just is what we call bogus science conspiracy theory science," said pediatric dentist and University of Florida professor Dr. Frank Catalanotto.

That report did not try to quantify exactly how many IQ points might be lost at different levels of fluoride exposure, nor did researchers reach a conclusion about the risks of lower levels of fluoride, saying more study is needed.

The Source: Information for this story was collected by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan and Ariel Plasencia, along with previous FOX 13 News reports.

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