Moms for Antibiotic Awareness March Newsletter (2012)

Below is your March 2012 newsletter from Moms for Antibiotic Awareness. In this edition:

• "Supermoms Against Superbugs" Take Washington By Storm Contest!
• FDA Finds Rise in Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on Meat and Poultry
• Thank You!
• Find Us at Upcoming Events!

"Supermoms Against Superbugs" Take Washington By Storm Contest!

Are you a mom who would like to come to our nation's capitol to urge federal policymakers to rein in the misuse and overuse of antibiotics on industrial farms?  If so, we want to hear from you!  We want to bring 25 to 30 moms to Washington, DC, for Supermoms Against Superbugs—a day of advocacy on May 15 funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

We need your help to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics. That is why we are asking you to get involved and let your powerful voice be heard in Washington and across the country!

To find out more on how to participate, visit the event web site for more information. The deadline for submissions is April 13.  We will announce the selected participants by April 16.

Additionally, for those not attending the event in Washington, DC, you will be able to participate in a virtual advocacy day on May 15.  Stay tuned for more information about how to get involved—no planes, trains, or automobiles required, just a computer with an Internet connection, a smart phone, or a tablet.

Click here to visit the Supermoms Against Superbugs contest page!

FDA Finds Rise in Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on Meat and Poultry

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent annual update found higher rates of many different kinds of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on retail meat and poultry products.

“This reinforces what stacks of scientific studies tell us,” says Gail Hansen, senior officer for the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming.  “Routinely using antibiotics on industrial farms gives rise to drug-resistant bacteria that can infect people.”

When people are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, their illnesses are often more difficult and costly to treat, and are more likely to develop into serious, sometimes deadly, diseases.

The report is yet another strong piece of evidence showing the correlation between antibiotic use and resistance.  Tetracyclines--the second most used drug in children's medicine--are the most widely used antibiotics in meat and poultry production and the drugs to which bacteria on meat and poultry are most commonly resistant.

In addition, researchers found one strain of Salmonella on ground turkey that was resistant to all eight classes of antibiotics tested.

FDA's report is based on bacteria collected from hundreds of samples of chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops in 2010.

Thank You!

A BIG thank you to everyone who submitted a comment or signed a letter asking the FDA to finalize a rule that will limit the uses of cephalosporins in food animal production. This restriction is a victory for human health as it will help ensure this critically important class of antibiotics will continue to work to treat life-threatening infections today and in the future.

Also, thank you to everyone who signed our "We the People" petition to the White House asking the Obama Administration and the FDA to keep their promise to limit the injudicious uses of antibiotics in food animal production.
With your support, we were able to demonstrate there is great concern across the country about the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in industrial farming and that action must be taken to protect these life-saving drugs.

Find Us at Upcoming Events!

We have been honored to meet so many supporters like you at conferences and events across the country.

We are participating in several events and conferences in the coming weeks, including:

• PTO Today Expos (Columbus, OH on April 2 and Boston, MA on May 2)
• Michigan PTA Convention (Southfield) – April 21
• Washington State PTA Conference (Seattle) - May 3-6

Come out and meet us and collect some information and ideas on how to get involved.  If you would like us to send you materials (including fact sheets, postcards and reusable shopping bags) or would like us to attend your event, please contact Katie Portnoy at [email protected].