NAPLES, Fla. — Naples City Council took a first step Wednesday toward potentially ending the use of fluoride in the city’s public drinking water. The discussion has drawn both support and criticism from community members and health experts.
After months of pressure from fluoride opponents who have showed up to council meetings, arguing that fluoride poses cognitive health risks, the council held its initial reading on the matter.
They voted 4-3 in favor of advancing the discussion to a second reading, which will happen later this year.
Local cardiologist George Yiachos is a vocal opponent of water fluoridation and spoke to Fox 4 about his concerns.
Watch to hear what both sides said about the issue:
“You can’t account for somebody’s health condition, you can’t account for their genetics,” Yiachos said. “All you’re doing is creating a lot of danger just from a dosing perspective," he added.
Many on the anti-fluoride side cited a recent federal ruling in California in which a judge found that fluoride at current recommended levels poses an “unreasonable risk of injury to health.”
he judge has since ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen regulations for fluoride in drinking water.
However, other health professionals strongly disagree, highlighting the benefits of fluoride on overall health.
Alexis Dyzynsky, a representative of the American Dental Association, argued that low levels of fluoride are safe and benefit underserved communities by preventing tooth decay.
“I agree more research is needed,” Dyzynsky acknowledged when asked about the recent federal ruling on fluoride. “But studies often fail to account for other variables, such as heavy metals in soil or pesticide runoff, which could confound the results on fluoride’s effects."
This local debate is gaining even more momentum with President-elect Donald Trump now set to take office. Trump has expressed support for a national ban on fluoridated water once he takes office.
The second reading at Naples City Council is expected to take place on Dec. 4.
