New call for antibiotics ban
07 December 1998
New call for antibiotics ban
THE non-medicinal use of all antibiotics should be banned, according to a new report published today (Monday).
The report, by the pro-organic Soil Association, says that most of the 1225 tonnes of antibiotics used annually in the UK are administered to farm animals.
Farmers feed antibiotics to livestock because the practice speeds up the digestive process and increases the animals growth rate.
But using antibiotics as growth-promoters in livestock is thought to reduce their effect as medicines when administered to humans.
There is increasing concern that the growing incidence of salmonella may be linked to the use of antibiotics as growth-promoters.
The report estimates that as many as 10,000 UK farmers could be illegally using antibiotics and calls for a complete change in the way that animals are reared.
The use of two of the best-known antibiotics, tetracyclin and penicillin, has increased by 1500% and 600% in the past 30 years, the report says.