Health
Miami-Dade Mayor Vetoes Plan to Remove Fluoride From Drinking Water
The mayor of Miami-Dade County on Friday said she vetoed legislation that would remove fluoride from the drinking water in Florida’s most populous county, pushing back on a growing campaign against the mineral used to prevent cavities.
The veto by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a Democrat, comes at a moment when critics of adding fluoride to the water supply have a newly powerful ally: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s health secretary, who this week called for states to ban fluoride in drinking water. Utah recently became the first state to outlaw adding fluoride to public water, and several other states, including Florida, are considering similar action.
“The science is very clear,” Ms. Levine Cava said at a news conference on Friday. She added, “ending fluoridation could have real and lasting harm, especially for children and families who cannot afford regular dental care.”
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, a nonpartisan body, approved the measure to ban fluoride on April 1 in an 8 to 2 vote, with three commissioners absent. Nine votes are needed to override the mayor’s veto if all 13 commissioners are present, and it is unclear whether there will be enough support. The next scheduled board meeting is on May 6.
Six commissioners are Republican, including Kevin Marino Cabrera, an ally of Mr. Trump’s who will soon depart to become the country’s ambassador to Panama. Ms. Levine Cava is now the state’s highest-ranking elected Democrat, with Republicans having swept every other countywide elected office in Miami-Dade — including sheriff and elections supervisor — last year.
At the news conference on Friday, Ms. Levine Cava, flanked by dentists and doctors in their white medical coats, cited research supporting her decision.
“I’m doing what I believe is the correct thing to do in the interest of the community’s health, and I stand with our dental and medical experts,” she said.
Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez, who sponsored the legislation, accused Ms. Levine Cava of “acting like a typical politician, relying on partisan pollsters and tired talking points, while putting people’s health at risk.”
In a statement on Friday, he called on his colleagues on the commission to override the veto.
The measure would require Miami-Dade to stop adding fluoride to the water supply within 30 days. Ms. Levine Cava said she and her office were closely following efforts in the Florida Legislature to pass a similar ban at the state level.
Many experts have warned that removing fluoride from drinking water would be detrimental to oral health, and particularly cavity prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called fluoridation one of the “10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.”
But wariness about fluoride has taken on new life in recent years, especially after the coronavirus pandemic eroded trust in public health interventions. Opponents say they want to protect bodily autonomy and have raised concerns about the possible cognitive effects in children.
They point to a recent review paper, where an analysis of 74 studies conducted by researchers with the National Institutes of Health found that there was a connection between lower I.Q. scores in children with high levels of childhood or prenatal fluoride exposure. (The levels studied were twice as high as those recommended by the C.D.C., and some research has found no link.)
Ms. Levine Cava’s veto puts her at odds with Mr. Kennedy and other fluoride skeptics in the Trump administration, as well as with Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and his appointed surgeon general, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who has been traveling around the state to speak against fluoridated water.
“Do we want forced medication or do we want people to be able to choose medication?” Mr. DeSantis said recently. “When you are forcing it into the water supply, that’s not really giving people a choice.”
Ahead of the mayor’s announcement, Dr. Ladapo, who has also called for a halt to using Covid vaccines, publicly urged Miami-Dade residents to ask the mayor to support the fluoride ban. “I’ll never understand how anyone feels entitled to add drugs to the water that other people drink,” he said.
Fluoride was first introduced to a city’s water supply in 1945 and began to become common practice across the country in the following decades. Studies show a direct correlation between fluoridation and an improvement in oral health.
“The growing distrust of credible, time-tested, evidence-based science is disheartening,” Dr. Brett Kessler, the president of the American Dental Association, said in a statement this week. “When government officials, like Secretary Kennedy, stand behind the commentary of misinformation and distrust peer-reviewed research, it is injurious to public health.”
Fluoridating water has been debated for years, in part because experts say that excessive exposure to fluoride over a long period can cause health problems. Federally mandated levels have lowered over the years, including after a recent court order.
On Monday, Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced a decision to “expeditiously review new scientific information on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water.”
“Without prejudging any outcomes, when this evaluation is completed, we will have an updated foundational scientific evaluation,” Mr. Zeldin said in a statement. He credited Mr. Kennedy for having “long been at the forefront of this issue.”
At a Miami-Dade commission meeting in April, most people who spoke during the public comment portion were against fluoridation. Days after the meeting, Ms. Levine Cava held a round-table discussion with doctors, dentists and others in the community that focused on its benefits.
Nearly 20 other cities and county governments in Florida have voted to remove fluoride from their water supplies since the November election. Among those, Miami-Dade County, with about 2.7 million people, is by far the largest. A bill under debate in the Florida Legislature would bar local municipalities from adding fluoride to water.
Miami-Dade’s politics have shifted sharply to the right in recent years, reflecting Florida’s transformation from a battleground state into one that votes reliably Republican. In November, Mr. Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the county since 1988.
Patricia Mazzei contributed reporting
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs continues to climb, significant weight loss associated with the medications has been linked to a growing list of cosmetic concerns.
Some surgeons report that more patients are seeking treatments for so-called “Ozempic earlobes,” which reportedly appear thinner, longer or more sagging after the loss of facial fat.
“The use of semaglutides causes you to lose fat across your body, including the small, fat pads of the earlobes,” facial plastic surgeon Sachin S. Parikh, MD, told NewBeauty.
OZEMPIC, OTHER SEMAGLUTIDES LINKED TO HAIR LOSS: HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW
“It’s important to note that semaglutides do not damage ear tissue or affect hearing in any way, so any intervention would be purely cosmetic,” added the California-based doctor.
Some of the potential treatments for “Ozempic earlobes” may include dermal filler, fat transfer, laser treatments or surgical earlobe reduction, according to the report.
As the popularity of GLP-1 drugs continues to climb, significant weight loss associated with the medications has been linked to a growing list of cosmetic concerns. (iStock)
Dr. Mohammed Asif from Duly Health and Care in Naperville, Illinois, said that while he hasn’t personally noticed an uptick in ear surgeries, he has seen a rise in other procedures due to GLP-1-triggered weight loss.
Some of those include panniculectomies (Ozempic skin removal surgery) and abdominoplasties (tummy tucks).
PLASTIC SURGERY TRENDS TAKE A SURPRISING TURN, AS DOCTORS SEE MORE PATIENTS ‘SIZING DOWN’
“There has been a significant increase in body contouring procedures among patients with GLP-1 weight loss,” Asif told Fox News Digital.
“In my practice, I’ve seen a significant surge in breast lifts, panniculectomies (skin removal surgery), abdominoplasties (tummy tucks), brachioplasties (arm lifts) and thighplasties due to weight loss.”
TOP COSMETIC PROCEDURES REVEALED IN NEW REPORT: WHAT’S TRENDING AND WHY
Healing and recovery are “far greater and less complicated” than with bariatric surgery weight loss, Asif noted.
“This is due to the gradual weight loss achieved over time with GLP-1s.”
“Ozempic breast” is another common complaint, according to Dr. Michael Omidi, a double board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills.
“There has been a significant increase in body contouring procedures among patients with GLP-1 weight loss,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Women in their 30s and 40s would not typically need a breast lift, but when you’re taking drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy that cause rapid weight loss, women can see gravity take its toll on their breasts,” he told Fox News Digital.
“When women, especially younger ones, lose fat too fast, it causes the breasts, which are comprised of fat, glandular tissue and skin, to lose volume,” he went on. “The skin and supporting ligaments don’t always bouce back at the same rate as the weight loss, resulting in breasts that can appear saggy and deflated.”
NEW OBESITY TREATMENT MAY HELP PRESERVE MUSCLE DURING WEIGHT LOSS
Dr. Samuel Golpanian, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said he has seen “dozens” of patients – men and women alike – seeking treatments for so-called “Ozempic butt” after significant weight loss.
“This is an unintended consequence of taking GLP-1s,” he told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Such dramatic weight loss in a short period of time causes the skin not to tighten quickly enough to keep up with the body’s changes. Our buttocks have a large amount of fat, so when that volume disappears quickly, you’ll develop a flatter, saggier behind.”
“Such dramatic weight loss in a short period of time causes the skin not to tighten quickly enough to keep up with the body’s changes,” a surgeon said. (iStock)
Kristy Hamilton, MD, a Houston-based surgeon who is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), agreed that a growing number of patients are seeking skin-tightening procedures after losing large amounts of weight with GLP-1s.
“We’re absolutely seeing more of those patients, and I expect that trend to continue,” said Hamilton in an ASPS report.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“People are losing as much as 100 pounds on this medication – and when you’re losing that amount, that’s significant. You’re certainly going to have excess skin afterward.”
The ASPS lists the following body-contouring procedures as the ones most frequently performed after substantial weight loss.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
- Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty): Removes excess abdominal skin and fat
- Lower body lift (belt lipectomy): Addresses the abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs
- Arm lift (brachioplasty): Removes hanging upper-arm skin
- Thigh lift: Tightens excess skin of the inner thighs
- Breast lift (mastopexy): Addresses sagging, deflated breasts after weight loss
- Facelift/neck lift: Addresses facial volume loss and skin laxity after major weight loss
“People are losing as much as 100 pounds on this medication – and when you’re losing that amount, that’s significant. You’re certainly going to have excess skin afterward.” (iStock)
Experts say adequate protein intake and resistance training can help minimize the loss of lean muscle mass that often accompanies rapid weight loss, which could reduce some of the cosmetic concerns.
Golpanian also emphasized the importance of eating enough protein.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“It can be harder since your appetite is suppressed, but it’s so important to consume at least 110 grams of protein a day while taking a GLP-1 drug,” he advised.
“Also, I say this to my patients all the time: You have to lift weights to keep your muscles from atrophying. Strength training can help build muscles and preserve your glutes.”
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
No sex for the win? This was the advice given to this year’s NBA champions.
New York Knicks owner James Dolan addressed the now-champs as they headed into the playoffs in April 2026, acknowledging their high potential to eventually win the championship.
“I don’t know if you understand what it would mean for you to win a championship this year … It would be life-changing,” he said. “It will stick with you the rest of your lives, and if you don’t win, you’ll be thinking about it the rest of your lives.”
MALE FERTILITY RATES CRASH AS DOCTORS REVEAL HEALTH THREATS: ‘SOMETHING VERY WRONG’
As Dolan’s inspirational speech to the team went on, he explained how the next 10 weeks would require each player to make sacrifices – watching their diets, getting proper sleep and perhaps even abstaining from sex.
“You need sacrifice and you need to eliminate all the distractions around you,” he said.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy and Knicks owner James Dolan after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 13, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“I had this idea that maybe you should give up sex for the next 10 weeks,” the owner said. “You don’t have to give up sex for the next 10 weeks – but, like the Spartans … They denied themselves, so that they can have an edge. Get the edge.”
This received a few snickers from the team, and Dolan responded, “Don’t tell [your wives and girlfriends] you’re not going to have sex and don’t tell them it was my idea. But let them know what this is going to be like … and how they’re going to have to sacrifice, too.”
DOCTORS WARN SOME POPULAR FOODS AND DRINKS COULD BE SECRETLY SABOTAGING MEN’S TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
Dr. Anna Elton, licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist in Massachusetts, confirmed that this belief has been around for centuries, dating back to the ancients Spartans and early Olympic competitors.
Avoiding sex can preserve energy, increase aggression and sharpen focus, according to Elton.
The theory behind abstaining from sex for better athletic performance supports that it can preserve energy, increase aggression and sharpen focus. (iStock)
But modern research has found little evidence that consensual sexual activity negatively impacts strength, endurance, reaction time or athletic performance when it occurs at least 10 hours before competition, the doctor countered.
However, “activity very close to competition may affect recovery measures,” she added. What may be more important, according to Elton, is the psychological value of abstinence.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Choosing to abstain can reinforce discipline and total commitment to a larger goal,” she said. “In those cases, the advantage may come more from mindset and focus than from any physical effect.”
“Whether the sacrifice is alcohol, social activities, favorite foods or sex, the message is often the same: ‘We are all in.’”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates with teammates after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 13, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
The science of abstinence
This discussion has historically focused on men, which Elton said is often based on “misconceptions about testosterone and energy depletion.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“Research has not demonstrated that normal sexual activity causes a meaningful decline in athletic performance, and concerns about testosterone depletion have not been consistently supported by the evidence,” she said.
“For women, sexual activity may have additional benefits related to stress reduction, emotional regulation and relationship satisfaction.”
Abstaining from sex for athletic performance may create a sense of discipline, minimize distractions, maintain focus on training and reinforce a team culture centered on sacrifice and commitment, experts say. (iStock)
In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Anthony Puopolo, a men’s health expert and lead medical provider for RexMD, echoed Elton’s assessment that research largely does not support abstinence as a performance enhancer.
This is despite a small amount of evidence that suggests engaging in sexual activity within two hours of competition could pose a risk to cardiovascular recovery.
WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATIONS COULD IMPACT SEXUAL HEALTH IN UNEXPECTED WAYS
“Unfortunately, nearly all studies (99%) have been conducted in males aged 20 to 40, so there is virtually no data on female athletes, older athletes or diverse populations,” said the Puerto Rico-based expert. “We know what to tell the Knicks, but we are not sure what to recommend for the New York Liberty.”
Importance of connection
Elton said abstinence may still offer psychological benefits for some competitors. “For some athletes, it can become part of a pre-competition ritual that enhances confidence,” she told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Some other potential benefits of sexual activity include stress reduction, improved sleep, mood enhancement, emotional connection with a partner and relief from performance-related tension.
“Strong, supportive relationships are associated with better psychological resilience, which can be valuable during high-pressure competitions,” Elton said.
“One of the most overlooked performance advantages may be having a supportive relationship waiting at home,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Ultimately, there is no universal rule,” she went on. “What helps one athlete perform at their best may not help another.”
Elton stressed that sleep, recovery, nutrition, stress management and support from loved ones are universal performance boosters.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“Athletes devote tremendous attention to training their bodies, while overlooking the importance of their personal relationships,” she cautioned. “A supportive partner can be one of the greatest assets during a demanding season.”
“If competition requires temporary sacrifices, make those decisions together and keep communication open.”
-
Health3 minutes agoWeight-loss drugs linked to ‘Ozempic ears’ and other cosmetic complaints, surgeons say
-
Sports6 minutes agoFlorida AG launches civil rights investigation into MLB’s warning to Christian pitchers over Pride Night caps
-
Technology12 minutes agoFox News AI Newsletter: Bezos predicts labor shortage
-
Business19 minutes agoLandmark downtown apartment tower faces foreclosure
-
Entertainment21 minutes agoBob Dylan is absolutely cooking on the road right now
-
Lifestyle26 minutes agoL.A. Affairs: Would taking a trip with this new guy finally push us out of the ‘polite’ phase?
-
Politics33 minutes agoDrug users don’t lose their gun rights, Supreme Court rules
-
Science36 minutes agoThis plant extract can make a lethal drug cocktail. Can it also treat opioid addiction?
