The proposed legislation, which Gov. Jerry Brown (D) is expected to sign by Sunday, is meant to reduce the number of deaths and illnesses caused by drug-resistant bacteria that result from routine use of human antibiotics in livestock.
Supporters say California’s decision could have broad influence on other states.
“California is a big agricultural state, and it often is a bellwether for the nation. We often see the FDA following suit or other states following suit,” said Elisa Odabashian of Consumers Union who supports the bill, according to the report.
Consumers Union estimates 70 percent of medically important antibiotics — the same used in human medicine — are administered to livestock in the U.S to promote growth and prevent disease in food-producing animals. However, the CDC estimates these antibiotics are the principal cause of the 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths caused by drug-resistant bacteria in the U.S. every year, according to the report.
Currently, livestock producers around the country can buy over-the-counter antibiotics in the form of feed, injections and pills. Public health advocates say medically important antibiotics are frequently overused, especially for subtherapeutic antibiotic use, in which low daily or routine doses are used to promote growth to reduce feed costs.
Consumers Union and other public health and environmental groups withheld support of the bill until Gov. Brown agreed to add provisions requiring a veterinarian’s prescription for antibiotic use. The added provisions helped those opposed to the bill overall reach a compromise, according to the report.
The FDA said sales of medically important antibiotics to livestock producers increased by 20 percent from 2009 to 2013, according to the report. However, many Americans question the safety of antibiotics in their meat: 48 percent of consumers said they are “uncomfortable” with antibiotic use in animal production, and 53 percent of consumers often wonder if the food they buy is safe.
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