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.

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.

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