MIAMI–DADE COUNTY, Florida – The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners voted 8-2 to pass a resolution on Tuesday directing the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department to discontinue adding fluoride to the county’s water supply within 30 days. Commissioners Eileen Higgins and Raquel Regalado voted “no” on the measure.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 11 Roberto J. Gonzalez proposed the resolution.
Miami-Dade County joins several other Florida counties and cities that have recently ended adding fluoride to their water supplies.
The resolution also requires County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava or her designee to create and implement a countywide public service campaign on dental hygiene and alternative fluoride sources, such as dental products.
The resolution mandates that $150,000 of legally available funds be identified and included in the County Mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget to fund the campaign.
Additionally, the Mayor or her designee is directed to research federal or state grants that could support the campaign and apply for them if available.
A written report on the status of the grant research must be provided to the board within 60 days.
Fluoridation began in the United States in 1945, with Grand Rapids, Michigan, becoming the first city to add fluoride to its drinking water to reduce tooth decay. The practice gained widespread adoption after studies showed significant declines in cavities, particularly among children.
By the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Public Health Service and organizations like the American Dental Association (ADA) endorsed water fluoridation as a safe, cost-effective way to improve dental health, especially in communities with limited access to dental care.
Today, about 75% of Americans on public water systems receive fluoridated water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which lists it among the top public health achievements of the 20th century.
However, recent studies, such as a 2019 JAMA Pediatrics paper and a 2024 National Toxicology Program report, have suggested a possible link between higher fluoride exposure—often above U.S. recommended levels—and lower IQ in children.
Other concerns include dental fluorosis (tooth enamel discoloration from excess fluoride), skeletal fluorosis (a rare bone condition tied to very high intake), and claims of neurotoxicity or endocrine disruption. Opponents also argue that fluoride’s benefits are overstated in an era where toothpaste and other dental products provide topical fluoride, rendering water fluoridation unnecessary or outdated.
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