Are We Overusing Antibiotics and Antibacterial Products?
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It's proved harder for scientists to connect widespread use of antibacterial cleaning products with the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Still, since antibacterial household products are similar to antibiotics in many ways, and inhibit the growth of "normal" bacteria, some scientists claim that they too will encourage the selection of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Furthermore, Dr. Stuart B. Levy claims, in a text published on the CDC's website, that antibacterial products have not been proven to benefit the health of households that use them.
So what should you do? Get your family into the habits of good hygiene without using antibacterial products. Wash your hands, rinse your foods, wash your dishes, and clean your bathroom with effective, non-antibacterial soaps and detergents. Recognize when you and your kids are likely to come into contact with germs, and be especially careful to practice good hygiene when in those situations.
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