State Action

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to regulate how antibiotics should be used. But so far the proposed rules out of Washington have been far too weak when it comes to the agricultural uses of our life-saving medicines. And given the current administration’s push to reduce regulations, we’re not optimistic that new rules will be coming anytime soon. Given the stakes, we can’t afford to wait.

Luckily, we don’t have to. Recently, we helped California and Maryland to pass laws banning the routine use of medically important antibiotics on farms that operate in those states. And now we’re running a coordinated campaign to build on that momentum, and to stop the overuse of antibiotics in seven more states, from Washington to Massachusetts, and Illinois to Texas. This will not only push a significant amount of meat production in the U.S. away from misusing our life-saving medicines, but it will put increased pressure on the FDA and other federal decision-makers to pass strong national rules to protect public health.

Our Strategy

We’re in a unique position to lead this effort. Our researchers, advocates and staff in 25 states are committed to protecting public health. We have a record of real results, including helping to pass similar bills in California and Maryland, and we helped use market-based pressure to get McDonald’s, Subway and KFC to phase medically important antibiotics out of their meat supply chains, starting with chicken.

We know how to bring together people from all political perspectives and all walks of life, including more than 40,000 medical professionals who signed on in support of our efforts to Stop the Overuse of Antibiotics.

Organizing Medical Professionals

Already, opposition in the states is mounting. Some companies are running misleading TV ads, while others are sending industry lobbyists to persuade state and local decision-makers that these changes are unnecessary, will be too hard, or will cost too much.

To make sure our state leaders understand the grave public health consequences of antibiotic resistance, we created the Health Professional Action Network. Health professionals are on the front lines of this problem, seeing patients with infections that were once easily treatable turn into dangerous and sometimes deadly illnesses.

That’s why more than 40,000 of them have signed onto our efforts to stop the overuse of antibiotics. We have a group of physicians and health experts who are trained and ready to be our voice in the media, in state capitols, and wherever we need to counter misleading claims or advocate for new solutions.