LEESBURG, Fla. — In a possible political about-face, Leesburg commissioners could vote to halt a $600,000 project to add fluoride to the city’s water supply they approved earlier this year.
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The final, unanimous vote in June came at the urging of dentists from across the city and region, who spoke of the benefits fluoride provides to children and adults’ health.
“Dentistry is the number one reason that children under five are seen in the operating room. So if we think about that, we’re putting the children at risk. ,” one dentist told commissioners.
Opinions against fluoride flared after Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Junior spoke against the longstanding practice in the final days of the 2024 presidential campaign. His comments were later echoed by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, a reliable skeptic of established medical practices.
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In a phone call Sunday, Mayor Jimmy Burry said the vote was added to Monday’s agenda at the request of a commissioner who was reluctant to approve the fluoridation. He said he remained in support of fluoride given his role as a pharmacist.
Scientists say fluoride — at certain levels — can cut a community’s risk of cavities by 25% and save families hundreds of dollars per year on dental treatment.
Critics have seized on other research that shows too much fluoride, more than double the concentration added to water supplies, can lower children’s IQ levels and stain teeth.
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If Leesburg commissioners vote to stop their ongoing contract, they can recoup several hundred thousand dollars in unspent funding. However, approximately half the project’s cost will have been wasted.
Neighboring Tavares will also discuss removing fluoride from its water supply during a meeting on Wednesday.
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