Tell Bayer Corp. to Protect Our Antibiotics
Environmental Defense
take action for the environment...online
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Tell Bayer Corp. to Protect Our Antibiotics:
In a threat to public health, the overuse of antibiotics is
reducing the strength of these drugs to fight illness in people.
Once cause: the overuse of antibiotics in poultry production.
Ask the Bayer Corp., maker of such drugs, to act responsibly and
comply with a proposed ban on use of such drugs in poultry.

Take action:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/bayer_abr/8x3xg72rjb5eww

Take action by June 30, 2004
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* Tell Bayer Corp. to Protect Our Antibiotics *
The overuse of antibiotics is reducing the ability of these
drugs to fight illness in people. This is a major public health
problem. One antibiotic, Baytril, which is being overused in
poultry production, is closely related to a very important human
drug Cipro. Ask the Bayer Corporation, which makes Baytril, to
act responsibly and comply with the Food and Drug
Administration's proposed ban on use of Baytril in poultry. Urge
Bayer to immediately withdraw Baytril from the market with no
further delaying tactics. This will protect our antibiotics, and
the public's health. Take action:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/bayer_abr/8x3xg72rjb5eww
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Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
FDA Baytril Decision (Docket # 00N -1571)
Mr. Attila Molnar, President and CEO Bayer Corporation

----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I urge you to stop fighting a proposed ban by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) on the use of Baytril in treating chickens
and turkeys, and immediately withdraw Baytril from the market
with no further delaying tactics.

The overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture has been shown
to reduce the effectiveness of these drugs in treating health
problems in humans. Although you claim that Baytril is needed
for poultry production, this argument is undercut by the fact
that six top poultry producers have announced that they no
longer use these drugs in chicken produced for human
consumption. Moreover, major chicken purchasers, including
McDonald's, have instructed their suppliers to stop using these
drugs.

Today, nearly four years after the FDA first proposed to ban use
of Baytril in poultry, rates of Cipro resistance in bacteria
that cause severe food poisoning are disturbingly high.

Please protect public health by immediately withdrawing Baytril
from the market for use in poultry, without causing further
delays by appealing the FDA's March 16 ruling upholding the
proposed ban.

----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----