The city of Winter Haven, Florida, is ditching fluoride in their water supply, citing, in part, warnings from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services Secretary.
According to reports, the commissioners made this determination in a 3-2 decision, removing the fluoride by January 1, according to WFLA, which detailed much of the debate:
“The government really should not be involved in healthcare, or what goes into the bodies of citizens,” Mayor Pro Tem Brian Yates said, after hinting that fluoride in the water supply and his hyperthyroidism may be correlated. “Those really should be left up to the patient and the (healthcare) provider.”
One of the two dissenters, Commissioner Clifton E. Dollison, claims that he himself was a benefactor of fluoride in water, as his mother had nine children and they grew up poor. Because of that, he never saw a dentist until he was an adult. He claims the dentist told him he had no cavities and attributed it to living in a place “where there was fluoride.”
WATCH — RFK Jr.: Trump Defined MAGA as Returning to the Era of JFK “When America Was at Its Apex”:
Commissioner Brad Dantzler, one of those in favor of removing fluoride from water, suggested in his counter that they take the money saved by the resolution — an estimated $48,000 — and give it to charities that can help with improving dental health. He also cited concerns raised by RFK Jr.
“I’ll tell you that after the recent election, President Trump has named Mr. Kennedy to be his H-something-something director, and Mr. Kennedy has made it well known and has publicly said that he wants fluoride out of the water around the entire country,” Dantzler said, according to the outlet.
“So this issue, we may be at the front of it, but this issue is coming just based upon current events and what’s going on in Washington D.C.,” he added.
Indeed, Kennedy made that proposal crystal clear in a November 2 post on X, stating, “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”
“Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @MELANIATRUMP want to Make America Healthy Again,” he continued:
On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. President…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) November 2, 2024
In an interview with NPR, Kennedy also cited a federal judge who ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not done enough studies on the effects of fluoride in public water.
“One of the findings … was that at this level, fluoride is almost certainly causing neurological development … and loss of IQ in our children as well as arthritis, bone breakage, thyroid problems, bone cancer and a number of other diseases,” he said, noting that fluoride is also in toothpaste now, so it makes even less sense to drench it in the public water supply.
Commissioner Dantzler echoed these concerns.
“This fluoride had a potential to lower IQ in children, had a potential to have problems in brains for people, had potential to potentially mess with immune systems, make bones somewhat brittle,” he said.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“I don’t know if that’s true or not, but that’s what the concerns were of all the people that we heard from,” he continued, making it clear, “We don’t begrudge anybody for having fluoride on their teeth. I use fluoride on my teeth. I just don’t want it in my stomach.”
Others also spoke out against the city adding fluoride to their water, including a mom of six, who said she has been ” fighting inflammatory diseases in my loved ones.”
“I have wished for a long time that our water could have as little toxins in it as possible,” she said.
It seems Winter Haven, Florida, is among the first to embrace what is surely coming once Trump takes office on January 20.
