From: EXECSEC
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 12:17 PM
To: EXECSEC
Subject: FW: Prevent untreatable diseases



-----Original Message-----
From: pdebbiet@hotmail.com [mailto:pdebbiet@hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 7:37 PM
To: jhenney@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Prevent untreatable diseases


Office of the Commissioner
Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

Dear Commissioner:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the overuse of antibiotics in animal factories to be the principal cause of antibiotic resistance in food-borne bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter.

The European Union has already banned all growth-promoting uses of antibiotics that have a role in human medicine.  Why is the US so slow to act in matters, such as this, that are so important to the health of ourselves and future generations?

While the FDA continues to study the problem, how many more diseases will become untreatable?

I urge you to preserve the effectiveness of human antibiotics by banning their use to make livestock grow faster.

Sincerely,

Deborah Torgerson
205 Vera Avenue
Redwood City, CA 94061