Delray Beach voted to keep fluoride in its water. What do you think? | Editorial
Delray Beach had the chance to scrap fluoridation. It didn’t. Commissioners in a 3-2 vote decided to continue adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water, even after Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo tried to convince them that the chemical was unnecessary and, according to recent studies, potentially harmful to children and pregnant women.
The commissioners’ decision was a reasonable one. Given the difficulty the city’s elected officials faced as laymen trying to weigh the medical benefits and risks that for years have been widely considered settled science, keeping fluoridation seemed to be a safe bet.
With longtime government approval and support from the dental community, fluoridated water was viewed as a significant way to fight tooth decay. In recent months, however, that widely held view has been challenged by Ladapo and some healthcare skeptics who cited recent studies that tied fluoride with neuropsychiatric risks to children and pregnant women. It was the primary argument Ladapo used to try to sway city commissioners to stop fluoridation.
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“God didn’t come down and tell us the answer, [but] it’s very strong evidence,” Ladapo said. “In my mind, when you see something like that, that’s reckless to continue recommending that and waiting for more evidence.”
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Editor’s Note: We’d like your feedback on this issue. Do you think Delray Beach made the right decision in keeping fluoride in its drinking water? Let us know by answering the following Post Opinion Page survey below. Please note: The required name, address and email are only used for verification of the survey’s participants. Select responses may be used in future Post articles, but identities will not be used for any solicitations by the Post or third parties.
