The fight over fluoride continues through Florida as the Miami-Dade County Commission voted 8-4 to end the fluoridation program for drinking water. The original vote was vetoed by Mayor Levine Cava. “The science is very clear, the decision to remove fluoride ignores the guidance of dentists and medical experts,” said Cava according to CBS News.
Commissioners Marleine Bastien, Eileen Higgins, Raquel Regalado, and Micky Steinberg opposed the override. Out of the eight commissioners that voted yes for the override, four were Black. Those voting in favor included Chairman Anthony Rodriguez, Vice Chair Kionne McGhee, and commissioners Juan-Carlos Bermudez, Danielle Cohen Higgins, René García, Oliver Gilbert, Keon Hardemon, and Rob Gonzalez.
As we reported in April, removing fluoride from water can impact Black and Brown communities the most, especially lower-income communities who don’t have access to routine dental care. Conspiracies spurred by long-standing health disparities and discriminatory practices have proven to skew the opinions of many who want to remove fluoride from drinking water. Health experts, like the American Dental Association, who favor keeping fluoride in drinking water maintain that there is no solid link between neurological disabilities, cancer, and other health concerns that opponents of fluoride believe will harm people if it remains in our drinking water.
Due to the veto override, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department has 30 days to end the use of fluoride treatments in tap water. Miami-Dade’s ban will go into effect months before the statewide ban that rolls out July 1st. Large health and dental associations warn that there will be an increase in cavities and dental infections. With medical bills being one of the biggest contributors to individual debt, the ramifications of this could be huge for Black and Brown communities. Removing fluoride is not just a matter of choice—it puts into question who is a reliable source on health and wellness, while forcing all of us to face the uncertainty of standardized public health across the state and nationwide. .
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