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Community Corner

Keep Antibiotics Effective in Oak Park

Can you imagine, a world where a simple skin abrasion can once again be a death sentence? This April the World Health Organization released a report warning that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, and cannot easily be replaced.

 

How does that happen? Right now, a whopping 80% of antibiotics in the U.S. are used in agriculture. But, rather than being used to treat sick animals, the majority of these antibiotics are fed to healthy animals to make them grow faster in crowded, filthy conditions. This practice creates a perfect breeding ground for bacteria with resistance to antibiotics - many of which are the same drugs we rely on to treat infections in people.

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Last year, the CDC released a report entitled: Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013. The report states “antibiotics should be used in food-producing animals only under veterinary oversight and only to manage and treat infectious diseases.”

Find out what's happening in Oak Park-River Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Concern about this issue is growing among health professionals and the public, and our lawmakers need to hear from community leaders as well. That is why Food & Water Watch is teaming up with local communities, including Oak Park to urge Congress to support legislation to help end misuse of antibiotics in agriculture.  

 

We’ve seen a groundswell of support already and just this June the Chicago City Council passed a resolution to protect lifesaving medicines for when we need them most. Help protect your community by urging the Oak Park Village Board to pass the Healthy Farms, Healthy Families Resolution.

 

Join us on July 25th for a free movie screening to learn more!

 

Featuring speakers:

Everly Macario, Sc.D., M.S., Ed.M., Mother of Simon Sparrow (11/2/02—4/17/04) Public Health Researcher, and Writer

Paul Schattauer, M.D. - The Green Medical Practice, Oak Park, IL, 2014 Recipient of The Fitzsimmons Award for Excellence in Public Health

Dan Rosenthal, Restaurateur (Cicchetti and Sopraffina Marketcaffé) , Co-Founder Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op, President The Rosenthal Group

 

When: Friday, July 25th, Doors at 5:30pm, Film at 6:00pm, Speakers following the film

Where: The Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301

RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/ResistanceOakPark

Accessible, Parking available

Co-Hosted by: Food & Water Watch Illinois, Green Community Connections, and The Sugar Beet Co-op.

 

Contact: Amber Glass (aglass@fwwlocal.org) p. 773-796-3542

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