State Action
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to regulate how antibiotics should be used. But so far the proposed rules out of Washington, D.C., have been far too weak when it comes to the agricultural uses of our life-saving medicines. And given the current administration’s push to reduce regulations, we’re not optimistic that new rules will be coming anytime soon. Given the stakes, we can’t afford to wait.
Luckily, we don't have to. Here in Maryland, after a long campaign, we successfully passed landmark legislation that bans the routine use of medically important antibiotics on farms that operate here. This legislation serves as an important model for other states, so our advocates are working with our national network to push seven other states to follow suit. Together, we're working to end the overuse of antibiotics everywhere from Washington to Massachusetts. This will not only shift a significant amount of meat production in the United States away from the misuse of our life-saving medicines, but it will put increased pressure on the FDA and other federal decision-makers to pass strong national rules to protect public health. Though our state has already laid the groundwork, it's critical that we support efforts to reduce antibiotic misuse nationwide, because superbugs don't respect state borders.
Our Strategy
Our national network is in a unique position to lead this effort. Our researchers, advocates and staff in 25 states are committed to protecting public health. We have a record of real results, including helping to pass bills in California and Maryland, and we helped use market-based pressure to get McDonald’s, Subway and KFC to phase medically important antibiotics out of their meat supply chains, starting with chicken.
We know how to bring together people from all political perspectives and all walks of life, including more than 40,000 medical professionals who signed on in support of our efforts to Stop the Overuse of Antibiotics.
Organizing Medical Professionals
Already, opposition to state-level legislation is mounting. Some companies are running misleading TV ads, while others are sending industry lobbyists to persuade state and local decision-makers that these changes are unnecessary, will be too hard, or will cost too much.
To make sure our state leaders understand the grave public health consequences of antibiotic resistance, we created the Health Professional Action Network. Health professionals are on the front lines of this problem, seeing patients with infections that were once easily treatable turn into dangerous and sometimes deadly illnesses.
That’s why more than 40,000 of them have signed onto our efforts to stop the overuse of antibiotics. We have a group of physicians and health experts who are trained and ready to be our voice in the media, in state capitols, and wherever we need to counter misleading claims or advocate for new solutions.
