New European Commission proposals for the regulation of veterinary medicines ignore advice from scientists to phase out routine use of farm antibiotics.
That’s the conclusion of campaign group Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics. The group’s, campaign manager, said: “The European Commission and the British government have both stated they don’t support the routine preventative use of antibiotics on farms, but both still back legislation which makes it legal.
“Governments and MEPs who are serious about avoiding the ‘apocalyptic scenario’ that the Chief Medical Officer has been describing, whereby people in the future may die from routine infections because of antibiotic resistance, must ensure that a ban on all routine use of antibiotics in farming is added to the Commission’s proposals”.
In the UK, over 85% of antibiotics used on farms are used for treating groups of animals, mainly pigs and poultry. Many antibiotics can be added legally to the feed or water of groups of healthy animals.
Despite stating that it does “not support the routine, prophylactic use of antibiotics in animal health,” the UK Government has so far refused to take action against routine preventative use.
• The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics has launched a petition with 38 Degrees that more than 29,000 people have signed. Please sign and share the petition if you think routine preventative use of antibiotics on farm must be stopped.
