Save Antibiotics February Newsletter (2012)
Sign the "We the People" Petition

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Here is the February 2012 newsletter from the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming. In this edition:

• Urgent Action Opportunity: Sign "We The People" Petition
• FDA Takes Measures to Preserve Effectiveness of Cephalosporins
• HHIF Staff Visits the CDC

Urgent Action Opportunity: Sign "We The People" Petition

As a reminder, we recently started a “We The People” petition to the White House asking the Obama Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep their promise to limit the injudicious uses of antibiotics in food animal production. Once we reach our goal of 25,000 signatures in 30 days the White House will respond. We can do this! In the first week, we gathered more than 5,500 signatures and we only have until March 16 to reach our goal!

Our petition is an effective way to demonstrate to the Obama Administration that 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. As a reminder, FDA proposed new guidelines on appropriate antibiotic use in food animal production almost two years ago, but their target date to finalize their plan—June 2011—has come and gone. With antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections on the rise, we need the White House and the FDA to take action now.

Take action here by signing our petition. The process only takes a few minutes. And please pass word along to your friends—we only have until March 16 to reach 25,000 signatures!

FDA Takes Measures to Preserve Effectiveness of Cephalosporins

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, the FDA issued an updated 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.

This is not the first time the FDA has taken steps toward eliminating uses of cephalosporins on industrial farms.  In 2008, the agency tried and failed to take similar action. That is why it is so important for the FDA to hear from the American people—those who rely on cephalosporins and other antibiotics to treat life-threatening infections.

If you have not done so already, please take a moment and tell the FDA to finalize the cephalosporin rule to keep these critical drugs protected from overuse and misuse on industrial farms.

HHIF Staff Visits CDC

On February 2, three HHIF staff members visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss important antibiotic resistance issues, and were given a tour of their National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) labs.