The Florida City of Melbourne has joined a growing number of municipalities across the United States in moving to halt the addition of fluoride to drinking water, after a federal judge last year ruled that the compound may pose a risk to children’s mental development.
Several cities and towns in Texas, New York state, North Carolina, and Florida in 2024 opted to cease water fluoridation after U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ruled in September 2024 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had to address impacts posed by fluoride, which has long been added to U.S. drinking water to combat tooth decay. Chen noted that recent studies have found that fluoride is linked to lower IQ scores among children.
