佛罗里达州塔拉哈西由于牙医和公共健康倡导者的担忧，佛罗里达州准备禁止在公共饮用水中添加氟化物，他们表示，这种矿物质是一种安全、有效的方式，可以保护所有年龄段的人免受蛀牙的困扰。
佛罗里达州议员周二最终批准了该法案。这项措施现在已经提交到共和党州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯的办公桌上，他的政府一直主张反对社区供水系统的氟化，认为高水平可能会构成风险对孩子的智力发展。
氟化物通过以下方式强化牙齿补充正常磨损过程中损失的矿物质根据美国疾病控制和预防中心的数据。在饮用水中添加低含量的氟化物被认为是上个世纪最伟大的公共卫生成就之一。
美国牙科协会主席布雷特·凯斯勒在本月早些时候的一份声明中说:“作为牙医，我们看到了除氟对患者造成的直接后果，从长远来看，决策者的决定伤害了弱势儿童和成人，这是一场真正的悲剧。盲目呼吁禁止氟化水伤害了人们，耗费了金钱，最终会损害我们的经济。"
虽然佛罗里达州的法案没有具体提到氟化物，但它要求从全州的水源中去除矿物质和其他一些添加剂，法案发起人共和党众议员凯莉·塔克说。
塔克说:“任何与水质、去除污染物等相关的东西，我们都不会碰。”。“这是任何与健康有关的事情。所以氟化物，维生素，不管是什么。”
犹他州成为了第一种状态上个月通过了一项禁令，批准立法禁止城市和社区决定是否将这种矿物添加到他们的水系统中。
在美国卫生部长小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪的影响下，氟化物受到了越来越多的关注，他正在推动政府采取行动停止给水加氟.
在州立法者推动禁止氟化物之前，佛罗里达州的一些地方官员已经投票决定从他们的社区供水系统中去除这种矿物质。
迈阿密-戴德县市长丹妮拉·莱文·卡瓦周二表示，她对该法案的通过“深感失望”，并补充说，该法案无视“牙医、医生和医学专家的压倒性共识，并将结束一种已经存在了几十年的保护我们健康的做法。”
Levine Cava说，停止氟化是一种安全且经济有效的预防蛀牙的方法，将会产生“长期的健康后果，特别是对我们最脆弱的家庭来说。”
市长说这个决定应该留给当地社区。
根据疾病预防控制中心2022年的一项分析，大约三分之一的社区供水系统，服务于超过60%的美国人口，对他们的水进行了氟化处理。
___佛罗里达州劳德代尔堡的美联社作家Freida Frisaro对此报道有贡献。佩恩是美联社/美国州议会新闻倡议报道的团队成员。为美国报道是一个非盈利性的全国性服务项目，将记者安排在当地的新闻编辑室，报道未被报道的问题。
Florida is poised to ban fluoride from public water systems
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --Florida is poised to ban fluoride in public drinking water, over the concerns of dentists and public health advocates who say the mineral is a safe, effective way to protect people of all ages from developing cavities.
Florida lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Tuesday. The measure now goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration has advocated against the fluoridation of community water systems, arguing high levels couldpose a riskto children’s intellectual development.
Fluoride strengthens teeth byreplacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water is considered among the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
“As dentists, we see the direct consequences fluoride removal has on our patients and it’s a real tragedy when policymakers’ decisions hurt vulnerable kids and adults in the long term,” Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Association, said in a statement earlier this month. “Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people, costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.”
While Florida's bill doesn't specifically reference fluoride, it will require the mineral and some other additives be removed from water sources across the state, said bill sponsor Republican state Rep. Kaylee Tuck.
“Anything that relates to water quality, removing contaminants, things like that, we're not touching that," Tuck said. "It's anything that has to do with health. So fluoride, vitamins, whatever else it is.”
Utah becamethe first stateto pass a ban last month, approving legislation that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.
Fluoride has come under increased scrutiny under the influence of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is setting the gears of government in motionto stop fluoridating water.
Some local officials in Florida have already voted to remove the mineral from their community water systems, ahead of state lawmakers' push to ban fluoride.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Tuesday she is “deeply disappointed” by the passage of the bill, adding that it disregards “the overwhelming consensus of dentists, doctors and medical experts and will end a practice that has been in place for decades to protect our health.”
Levine Cava said that ending fluoridation, which is a safe and cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay, will have “long-lasting health consequences, especially for our most vulnerable families.”
The mayor said the decision should be left to local communities.
About one-third of community water systems, serving more than 60% of the U.S. population, fluoridated their water, according to a 2022 analysis by the CDC.
___ Associated Press writer Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report. Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
