WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Excessive use of antibiotics enables bacteria to develop resistance to the drugs, reducing our ability to treat infections. In 2014, the World Health Organisation declared “far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, a post-antibiotic era – in which common infections and minor injuries can kill – is a very real possibility for the 21st century”. Of particular concern are ‘drugs of last resort’ – the strongest antibiotics used when others do not work.
According to the 2015 Review on Antimicrobial Resistance: “Significant volumes [of antibiotics] are used either prophylactically among healthy animals to stop development of an infection... or simply to speed up the pace at which animals gain weight. Both uses are
prevalent in intensive agriculture, where animals are kept in confined conditions.” Last year, the heads of 12 royal medical colleges and the British Medical Association called for the prohibition of preventative prescription of medicines on animals.