Controversy Over The Use Of Antibiotics In Agriculture

The use antibiotics in raising livestock has contributed negatively to the effectiveness of antibiotics for humans and needs to be regulated by the FDA. Over the past 80 years the use of antibiotics and other treatments has grown and expanded too many practices in how people produce food. Farmers use pesticides on vegetables and plants to kill off insects to keep production levels high. Livestock farmers use antibiotics to enhance the growth and health of animals. Unlike pesticides, antibiotics cannot be washed off when you buy fresh food. These antibiotics are used in raising living things and are absorbed as the livestock eats them. As people consume this meat they also consume large amounts of antibiotics. The consumption of these antibiotics creates resistance in humans to future treatments of diseases which can cause severer illness or even death. According to the Microbiology …show more content…
In the mid 1990’s,”Denmark became the first country to strictly regulate agricultural antibiotics … its animal food industries not only didn’t collapse, they saw benefits.”(Zaitchik). The main argument against not using antibiotics is that it would destroy the meat industry. Other countries have proven that it is possible. According to the American National Academy of Sciences it would only cost the consumer $5 to $10 USD annually for factory farms to stop suing antibiotics. Some states in the US have even gotten pass lobbyists to limit the use of antibiotics in farming. California lawmakers and the US centers of disease control have gotten together to create, “a bill, which goes into effect on 1 January 2018. The bill will restrict the regular use of antibiotics for disease prevention and bans antibiotic use to fatten up animals.”(theguardian). States have realized the health risks of consuming too many antibiotics and have taken action themselves. Other states are also looking into regulating