Editorial: Antibiotic overuse in animals must end

The headlines about staph infections are spreading awareness that overuse of antibiotics has made some bacteria resistant to drugs. The trend poses a threat to everyone, as dangerous infections become increasingly prevalent and challenging to treat. But most people don't know that 70 percent of antibiotic use today is in feed additives given to farm animals. It is a huge factor in making the drugs less effective for people - and most of it is unnecessary, to boot. It's got to stop. California should support a bipartisan bill in Congress that would phase out this use of antibiotics in two years. The European Union has already taken action without a major impact on meat prices. A study by the National Academy of Sciences indicates that a ban would increase the average American's meat bill by $5 to $10 a year. Read more...