Ladapo admitted to previously being in favor of fluoridation, which was seen as a public health measure.
Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued a new guidance on Nov. 22, advising against the long-standing practice of adding fluoride to the public drinking water supply.
“Adding fluoride to water increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disease in children and reduces their IQ,” Ladapo said in a post on X. “We can strengthen teeth without consuming this neurotoxin.”In his guidance, Ladapo states that fluoride, which is known to strengthen teeth and make them more resistant to decay, is “widely available from multiple sources,” such as toothpaste and mouthwashes, and cites several studies that found a connection between negative mental side effects and fluoride exposure during childhood and pregnancy.
Those side effects include an association with lowered IQ, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as decreased child inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.
His guidance also cited a report published in August 2024 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program, which also suggested a connection between fluoridated water and lower IQ in children, and U.S. District Court ruling that found “community water fluoridation at 0.7 milligrams per liter presents an unreasonable