A decades old debate over fluoride in drinking water has resurfaced in Hillsborough County. Commissioners voted on whether to remove fluoride from the public water supply with supporters calling it a public health necessity and opponents warning of potential risk.

Hillsborough commissioners shot down a motion to remove fluoride from the county's drinking water. Why it matters: Conservatives have fashioned fluoride into an issue of medical freedom, leading communities across Florida and the nation to halt the practice of adding the mineral to drinking water.

Cities such as Melbourne, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, and Tavares have dropped fluoride over the past few months, taking their guidance from a directive issued by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in November. Ladapo recommended against community water fluoridation “due to the neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure.”