From the moment DeSantis appointed Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in 2021, it was clear that Ladapo had little interest in following the medical mainstream.

Ladapo on Friday also appeared in Winter Haven, where city commissioners earlier this month voted 3-2 to remove fluoride from its drinking water by the end of the year. Community water fluoridation has been used for seven decades as a method of preventing tooth decay.

Florida's surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, cited developmental concerns from higher levels of fluoride than are found in most U.S. water supplies.