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Hillsborough Commission keeps fluoride in water after vote to remove it fails

Vote ended in a 3-3 tie
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — Hillsborough County will not follow the examples of some other communities in the state and will keep fluoride in the drinking water, at least for now.

This was after the Hillsborough County Commission's vote on the matter ended in a 3-3 tie, with one commissioner absent.

The debate got pretty heated between county comissioners Joshua Wostal and Harry Cohen. Wostal is for removing Fluoride from drinking water. Cohen wants further discussion with experts on both sides of the issue.

“In my view, taking one court case that may or may not be filled with inaccurate information and making a public health determination of this magnitude is extremely irresponsible,"said Cohen.

“Irresponsible is a county commissioner advocating to overlook a preponderance evidence that clearly demonstrated to our federal judges to say, hey, you are potentially unwittingly damaging the intelligence of our children," Wostal said in response.

"That is irresponsible.”

The current recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water in the U.S. is .7 milligrams per liter.

In November, state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo recommended removing it. A month later, the city of Winter Haven voted to do so by Jan. 1, 2025.

“In a tube of toothpaste, we are actually seeing a higher concentration than in our community water source," said Dr. Maggie Davis, a Pediatric Dentist in Palm Harbor.

But can fluoride lower a child’s IQ?

The Cleveland Clinic said it can be harmful in large amounts. Research from the National Toxicology Program showed “insufficient data” on whether .7 milligrams, the United States' recommendation, negatively affects a child’s IQ.

"There has been some research that has shown that fluoride levels, fluoride exposure to children, can impact, at least according to the study, cognitive outcomes, negative behaviors," said Dr. David Berger, a Pediatrician at Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care.

However, that study examined fluoride in countries with higher limits than the U.S. limit of 0.7 milligrams per liter.

Even still, Dr. Berger thinks the research out there now doesn’t warrant a change in national policy.

Dentists like Dr. Davis say there are benefits. Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and fight cavities, and she thinks that’s essential, especially in communities with limited access to dental care.

"I think if we were to take that away, we would see a gradual increase in the rate of cavities," she said.

“There probably is some type of sweet spot here. We know that. It’s part of enamel, so is there a way that we can make sure people are getting the right amount?" asked Dr. Berger.

We spoke to a local mother who said she was upset that the matter failed.

“People should have a choice what they give their kid," Kaitlyn Erow said. " Water is supposed to be good for you. Parents should be able to give their kids water without having to worry about what’s in it. So I am not happy about that.”

Erow said she and her husband have been following this debate for quite some time.

“My husband and I kind of started doing more research, and we decided that that’s not what we want for our family," she said. "When my kids go to the dentist, they don’t get fluoride put on their teeth. We don’t use fluoride toothpaste.”


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