Antibacterial Products: A Silent Disaster

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"If something has a benefit, and no harms, then you should likely use it. But if something has no benefits and potentially real harms, then you shouldn’t. The latter is the case with antibacterial products". (Carroll par. 1) The users of antibacterial products do not realize the harms of such, harms which overpower the benefits. When the first antibacterial product, Penicillin, was invented in 1928 it was called a miracle. (Online Textbook of Bacteriology pgs. 1-4) Deaths and illness were exponentially reduced, and penicillin saved countless lives during World War 2. By the 70s there were many types of antibiotics, thus we thought we had “won the war against bacteria”. We had cured major bacteria like Tuberculosis, Salmonella, and Pneumonia. However, antibiotics were intended to be used sparingly to preserve their effectiveness, but we now use antibiotics for almost every occasion. (Eyes of Nye; Meat without Drugs) Problems have developed since the 70s, and will continue to grow if we do not stop them now. However, some oppose this notion and want to continue using antibacterial products on a huge scale. We must realize that anti-bacterial products are damaging the environment, ourselves, and antibiotic effectiveness. We are spreading harmful chemicals, creating superbugs, and are weakening our medicine. If we ignore this there might not be a positive outcome for this situation.
The condition of our environment is not positive right now. First, chemicals including Triclosan (used in antibacterial soap) and Sulfamethoxazole (used in antibiotics) are ending up in our water sources. This is creating irregularities in our aquatic environment such as mutated fish. (USGS p. 1) A recent study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ...

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...dh/eh/esa/hra. "Triclosan and Drinking Water." Triclosan and Drinking Water (2014). Minesota State Health. Minnesota Department of Health, Mar. 2014. Web. 25 May 2014. .
"Meat Without Drugs - Sign the Petition!" Meat Without Drugs. Consumers Union & FixFood, 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.
Rhodan, Maya. "Minnesota Bans Antibacterial Triclosan." Time. Time, 19 May 2014. Web. 28 May 2014. .
"Triclosan: Health Effects." Issues: Antibacterials: Triclosan: Health Effects — Beyond Pesticides. Beyond Pesticides. Web. 27 May 2014. .
"U.S. Food and Drug Administration." FDA Taking Closer Look at 'Antibacterial' Soap. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 24 Dec. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.

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