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BurstingtheantibacterialbubbleInthefilmTheBoyinthePlasticBubble,aboybornwithadeficientimmunesystemisforcedtoliveinagermfreeenvironmenttopreventhimfromcontractinginfections.Hisroomissealedagainstbacteriaandviruses,hisfoodisespeciallyprepared,andhisonlyhumancontactcomesintheformofglovedhands.TodaymillionsofAmericansaretryingtobuildabubblearoundthemselvesandtheirfamiliestokeepoutgerms.Thebubbleisnotmadeofplastic,however,butofbillionsofdollarsworthofantibacterialhandwipes,tissues,soaps,andsponges.BeforeIstudiedantibacterialproductsinmypublichealthclass,Ialwaysusedantibacterialhandsoapsandantibacterialall-surfacecleanerformyapartment.Ialsoknowfrommyclasssurveythat70percentofyouuseantibacterialsoaps,cleanersandotherproducts.Butafterlearningaboutthesubjectinclassandreadingresearchstudiesforthisspeech,I’mheretotellyouthat,tryaswemight,wecannotbuildabubblebetweenourselvesandgermswithantibacterialproductsandthattheseproductsactuallycreatemoreproblemsthantheysolve.Afterlookingattheproblemscreatedbyantibacterialproducts,wewillexploresomesolutions.Theplacetobeginisbynotingthatantibacterialproductsarepoppingupjustabouteverywhere.Thenexttimeyougotothestore,trytofindaliquidsoapthatisnotantibacterial.AccordingtotheAllianceforthePrudentUseofAntibiotics,75percentofallliquidsoapsand33percentofallbarsoapsareantibacterial.Infact,therearemorethan1,000antibacterialhouseholdproductsonthemarket.Inadditiontoallthesoapsandcleaningproducts,therearealsoantibacterialcottonswabs,tonsofantibacterialshampoos,andthisantibacterialcuttingboardfromWilliamsSonoma.Youcanevengetantibacterialsocks,mouthwash,toothpaste,and,toprotectyouwhileawayfromhome,thistraveltoothbrushwithantibacterialbristles.TheBostonGlobereportsthatlargeritemssuchasmattresses,countertops,highchairs,andevenchildren’stoyshavebeencoatedwithantibacterialchemicals.TheNewYorkTimescallstheantibacterialcraze“thebiggestmarketingcoupsincebottledwater.”Thereisnodoubtthatantibacterialproductsarepopularwithconsumers,butthere’sagreatdealofdoubtaboutwhethertheyareeffectiveinstoppingthespreadofgerms.ElaineLarson,associatedeanoftheColumbiaUniversitySchoolofNursing,studied238familieswhousedantibacterialproductsandfoundthattheywerejustaslikelytogetfevers,sorethroats,coughs,rashes,andstomachproblemsasfamilieswhousedregularproducts.Larson’sfindingsareechoedbyEricKupferberg,associatedirectoroftheHarvardSchoolforPublicHealth,whostates“antibacterialproductsdon’tsignificantlyeliminatethenumberofgermsyouencounteronadailybasis.”Nordoantibacterialproductspreventthetransmissionofdiseasessuchascoldsandflus.Why,becausetheseillnessescomefromviruses,notfrombacteria.antibacterialproductsdon’tkillviruses.AsDr.Larsonexplains,“mostoftheinfectionshealthypeoplegetarecolds,flu,anddiarrheacausedbyviruses”-noneofwhichcanbepreventedbytheuseofantibacterialproducts.Notonlydoantibacterialproductsfailtodeliverwhattheypromise,buttheyactuallyincreaseyourchancesofgettingsick.AccordingtoStuartLevy,aprofessorofmicrobiologyandmedicineatTuftsUniversity,excessiveuseofantibacterialproductsinthehomecanmakechildrenmorelikelytodevelopallergiesandasthma.Inaddition,peoplewhouseantibacterialproductsmaybecomemoresusceptibletoinfections.Dr.JamesChin,aresearchscientistinNewSouthWales,Australia,says:“Thewaywestayhealthyisbylow-doseexposuretobacteriaandviruses.Youneedtoexerciseyourimmunesysteminthesamewayyouneedtoexerciseyourmusclestobefit.Ifyoudon’tdothat,yourimmunesystemdoesn’thaveachancetodobattlewhenitengageswithaninfection.”TheproblemscausedbyantibacterialproductsaresoseriousthatDr.MyronGenel,chairmanoftheAmericanMedicalAssociation’scouncilonscientificaffairs,fearsoneresultmaybethecreationofantibiotic-resistantbacteria“thatarelargelyuntreatablebecausetheyareresistanttoexistingdrugs.”Andthat’snotall.Besidesbeingineffectiveatpreventingdiseasesandbeingpotentiallydangeroustoourhealth,antibacterialhouseholdproductsalsoappeartoharmtheenvironment.RolfHaldenofJohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofPublicHealthreportsthateachyeartheUnitedStatesreleasesintothewatersupplymorethan2millionpoundsoftheactivechemicalsinantibacterialsoaps.TheU.S.GeologicalSurveyreportsthatchemicalsfromantibacterialproductsarewindingupinstreamsandgroundwaterfromtheDenverareatoremotelocationsintheRockyMountains.Thesechemicalsareknowntopollutethewatersupply,disruptfishreproductionandgrowth,andbecausetheydonotdecomposequickly,remainactiveforyearsandyears.Nowthatwe’veseentheseriousnessoftheproblem,let’slookatsomesolutions.First,weneedfederallegislationregulatingtheuseofhouseholdantibacterialproducts.JustastheFoodandDrugAdministrationhasregulationscontrollingtheuseofantibiotics,so,tooshoulditinstituteregulationscontrollingtheuseofantibacterialproducts.Wedon’tletpeoplepurchaseantibioticswithoutadoctor’sprescription,andthere’snoreasonweshouldallowmakersofsoap,tissues,handwipes,toothbrushes,andotherproductstoaddpowerfulantibacterialagentswithoutoversightfromtheFoodandDrugAdministration.Giventheproblemsbeingcausedbytheproducts,itistimeforthefederalgovernmenttotakeaction.Second,weallneedto