Miami-Dade Commission Votes to End Water Fluoridation

Before voting on the item, the commission only heard from the anti-fluoride Florida surgeon general.

April 1, 2025

Image: Portrait of Asian man in bathrobe looking skeptical while holding glass of water

Miami-Dade County will stop fluoridating its community water supply. Photo by Mix and Match Studio/Adobe Stock

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On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted to discontinue fluoridating its community water supply following a push from anti-fluoride Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo.

The item, sponsored by commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, passed in an 8-2 vote after Ladapo spoke before the commission about why the county should discontinue the public health practice.

Commissioners Eileen Higgins and Raquel Regalado voted against the measure, while commissioners Keon Hardemon, Micky Steinberg, and Marleine Bastien were not present for the vote. Regalado had expressed concerns that the information presented was one-sided and only about the supposed harms of fluoridation.

“This is not something that you just Google search and make a decision on. We have not heard both sides,” Regalado said.

Ladapo and anti-fluoride University of Florida professor Dr. Ashley Malin were the only speakers allowed to address the whole commission before the item was brought to a vote. Dental experts and fluoride advocates were not granted the opportunity to speak with Ladapo, aside from the one minute they were each allotted during the public comment portion earlier in the meeting.

Dr. Johnny Johnson, a retired pediatric dentist and president of the American Fluoridation Society, asked to present before the commission about the danger of ending community water fluoridation but never received a response.

Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava will now decide whether to approve or veto the item. The commission would need nine votes to override the mayoral veto.

Naomi Feinstein is a staff writer of Miami New Times where she primarily focuses on news. Naomi started her career with New Times as a summer intern in 2019, then returned as a fellow in August 2022 before joining the staff full-time in February 2023. She graduated from University of Miami where she contributed to the student-run newspaper, the Miami Hurricane. She holds a master’s degree and graduated with honors from the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2021, Naomi was recognized as the College Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists of Florida, and she placed second for Best General News Story in the 2021 Pinnacle Awards.

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