The federal government and the provinces should work more closely together in regulating the use of antibiotics in livestock production. In a report published in the March issue of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, a group including representatives from the veterinary field, academia and industry has given sa国际传媒 a D grade for its handling of the importation, sale and use of drugs that have not been approved by Health sa国际传媒.
We generally regard antibiotics as effective tools in preventing or curing infections, but in the livestock industry, antimicrobials have been used in low doses for decades to enhance growth. The U.S. has made moves to clamp down on the practice, but it is still legal in sa国际传媒.
The misuse and overuse of antibiotics perpetuates a growing resistance to the drugs by bacteria, raising well-founded fears of a return to a time when otherwise minor injuries and illnesses too often resulted in fatal infections. A major factor in bacterial resistance is the over-prescription of antibiotics and failure to complete the prescribed course of medication.
But also concerning is how the drugs are used agriculturally. A public-health report in 2008 said the use of antibiotics for growth stimulation was the largest use of antimicrobials worldwide. In 2011, 80 per cent of all antibiotics produced in the U.S. were used in livestock production. Donald Kennedy, former director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has stated: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that routinely administering non-therapeutic doses of antibiotics to food animals contributes to antibiotic resistance.鈥�
About two million Americans become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and 23,000 die as a result. The development not only threatens the effectiveness of drugs in treating infectious diseases, but could limit the ability to use antibiotics as part of the treatment for patients who have cancer or undergo organ transplants or other surgeries.
The concerns are not new. An advisory committee recommended in 2002 that Health sa国际传媒 close an 鈥渙wn use鈥� loophole that allows people to buy drugs for use on their own farms with few restrictions. The loophole has not been removed.
Canadian farmers want the federal government to follow the Americans鈥� lead in restricting the use of antibiotics to stimulate growth. The National Farmers Union has called for a ban on the use of antibiotics for anything other than a medical necessity.
鈥淎 lot of these products that are available are cost-effective, but we need to stop this nonsense,鈥� NFU president Jan Slomp told the Calgary Herald in January. 鈥淚t is not in the farmer鈥檚 interest, or the consumer鈥檚.鈥�
Representatives of various sectors of the livestock industry are not so quick to call for an outright ban, saying the products are useful and safe if properly used.
That proper use is best achieved with veterinary supervision. Vets have the expertise to know how much of a drug to use and for how long.
Progress in regulating agricultural antibiotics is slowed by the fact that the federal government regulates the sale of antimicrobials and the provinces regulate their use. This issue is not contained by provincial borders: Health sa国际传媒 should set the policies.
Using antibiotics to enhance livestock growth might increase short-term profits, but it isn鈥檛 a particularly good long-term marketing strategy. Increasingly, consumers, both at home and internationally, are demanding that their produce be free of drugs and chemicals. Many people are willing to pay a premium for meat that was raised without antibiotics or growth hormones 鈥� just witness the lineups for organic foods at local markets.
But profits aren鈥檛 the consideration here 鈥� change needs to be made for the health of people worldwide.
