Florida's Surgeon General spoke on Winter Haven's community water systems, a week after the City Commission voted to remove fluoride from the water.

The surgeon general calls it "public health malpractice" to fluoridate water, citing research that suggests exposure to high levels of fluoride can cause lower IQ in kids. National experts say there is not enough data to determine if the lower level present in most U.

The state’s top health official cited controversial studies that suggest the widely hailed public health practice poses a risk to developing brains.