Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 700 into law Tuesday, eliminating the ability of local governments to add fluoride or other medical additives to the state’s public water supply, a move cheered by supporters of medical freedom and health transparency.
“Jamming fluoride in the water supply … is essentially a forced medication,” DeSantis said during a news conference in Tallahassee. “At the end of the day, we should all agree that people deserve informed consent.”
The new law, part of the broader Florida Farm Bill, does not ban fluoride entirely.
Floridians will still be able to purchase fluoridated water from private suppliers. But it draws a firm line against the government deciding what goes in your glass without your say.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference April 10, 2025, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“When it gets hot in the Sunshine State, no one clamors for a cold glass of fluoride,” state Sen. Keith Truenow told Fox News Digital. “We will protect our natural resources and give Floridians the ability to make the best choices without government forcing unnecessary additives.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who joined DeSantis at the signing, emphasized that this isn’t about denying people fluoride, but ensuring they aren’t medicated without consent.
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“Today, Florida took a bold step and declared that drinking water will hydrate, not medicate,” Simpson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“No Floridian should be medicated without their consent, plain and simple. Through our Florida Farm Bill, we’re saying loud and clear: Florida’s water will be clean, it will be safe and it will be medication-free. That’s what freedom looks like in the Free State of Florida.”
The effort aligns with the national “Make America Healthy Again” movement led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. His initiative emphasizes consumer choice, reduced reliance on centralized health mandates and a renewed skepticism of top-down medical policies.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference April 10, 2025, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“Today’s efforts to prohibit local governments from unilaterally adding fluoride to public drinking water is the logical next iteration of our commitment to being the Free State of Florida,” said Bryan Griffin, communications director for DeSantis. “And Ron DeSantis has delivered yet again.”
DeSantis also tied the move to a growing public distrust of medical institutions, citing the fallout from COVID-era policies.
“People are just much more skeptical when these elites are trying to jam anything down our throats,” he said. “The burden is on them to prove why this should be forced on people. And it really shouldn’t be.”
The legislation also includes broad support for Florida’s agriculture sector, new consumer transparency laws and restrictions on environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices that target farmers and ranchers.
DeSantis has also promised action on geoengineering.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Florida is not a testing ground for geoengineering,” DeSantis wrote on X Tuesday. “The Free State of Florida means freedom from governments or private actors unilaterally applying chemicals or geoengineering to people or public spaces.”
Critics of SB 700 argue fluoridation has long been used to fight tooth decay, particularly in children.
But DeSantis pointed to updated guidance from State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who raised concerns about fluoride’s effects on pregnant women and children.
“You don’t even have to agree with that analysis,” the governor said, “but people should still have the right to opt out.”
Kennedy did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
