MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on Friday vetoed a resolution passed by county commissioners that would have ended fluoridation of the county’s water supply, calling the vote “rushed” and lacking public input.
Levine Cava made the announcement during a late morning news conference, surrounded by medical experts and dentists who supported her decision.
“This is not a decision that I take lightly,” Levine Cava said Friday, flanked by medical experts including Dr. Beatriz Terry, immediate past president of the Florida Dental Association. “Halting it could have long term and wide reaching health consequences especially for our most vulnerable families.”
The resolution, approved by commissioners in an 8-2 vote earlier this month, would have required the county to stop adding fluoride to drinking water by June 1.
“The science is very clear,” Levine Cava added. “The decision to stop adding fluoride to Miami-Dade’s water ignores the guidance of dentists and medical experts who are overwhelmingly trusted by our residents on this issue.”
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Fluoride has been added to the county’s water since 1958 to help prevent tooth decay.
Proponents of the resolution to remove it have cited studies claiming the additive poses health risks. But local health leaders and national medical groups, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maintain that fluoride in low levels is safe and effective in reducing dental problems.
Levine Cava said she based her veto on input from residents and consultations with health professionals. She pointed to other cities that experienced an increase in cavities and other dental issues after fluoride was removed.
She also criticized the commission for what she described as a “rushed” decision-making process.
Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who led the push to eliminate fluoride, criticized the mayor’s move.
“I’m very disappointed,” Gonzalez said. “The county commission came together in a bipartisan manner by a wide margin.”
The debate in Miami-Dade comes as similar discussions unfold at the state level.
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo has advocated for the removal of fluoride from the state’s water systems, and bills have been introduced in the Legislature that would end fluoridation statewide.
“The issue is that a lot of studies unfortunately show harms,” Ladapo told commissioners.
But Levine Cava’s veto was backed by a coalition of health professionals who argue that fluoridation remains a proven public health measure.
“Fluoride in our water helps strengthen enamel, preventing and resisting decay,” Terry said. “It’s one of the few health interventions that provides broad, life long benefits to an entire population.”
To override the mayor’s veto, at least two-thirds of the commission — or five votes if all members are present — would need to support it.
Efforts to ban fluoride could still move forward at the state level. Lawmakers in Tallahassee are considering legislation that would prohibit additives like fluoride in tap water, and both Levine Cava and Gonzalez say they are watching closely.
