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U.S. FDA orders antibacterials removed from consumer soaps
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NorthCascades
Posts: 10,970 Member
in Debate Club
"Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections," the FDA said in a statement.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-orders-antibacterials-removed-consumer-soaps-n642036
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-orders-antibacterials-removed-consumer-soaps-n642036
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Good because some of the antibacterials are similar to pesticides, plus they contribute to the growth of super-bacteria like MRSA, which is rampant in US hospitals. The action of rubbing your hands together with plain soap is just as effective.4
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The FDA started asking about triclosan in 1978. Environmental groups and some members of Congress have been calling for limits on the use of triclosan. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued and the FDA agreed to do something about triclosan by 2016.
38 years! It's things like these that make people so leery of FDA approval of anything.7 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »The FDA started asking about triclosan in 1978. Environmental groups and some members of Congress have been calling for limits on the use of triclosan. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued and the FDA agreed to do something about triclosan by 2016.
38 years! It's things like these that make people so leery of FDA approval of anything.
FDA approval means nothing to me, i don't think it takes much to get that stamp of approval..PennWalker wrote: »Good because some of the antibacterials are similar to pesticides, plus they contribute to the growth of super-bacteria like MRSA, which is rampant in US hospitals. The action of rubbing your hands together with plain soap is just as effective.
Look at all the people that go into hospital but never make it out due to picking up deadly infections in there. Hospitals would have to be the number 1 user of antibacterials.4 -
Great!
Now if only we could stop doctors from prescribing antibiotics for the common cold...13 -
This is primarily response to anti-chemical activist pressure. The "antibacterial" label when triclosan was added was pure marketing. The REAL purpose is as an antimycotic. The stuff prevents molds from growing in consumer products, and banning the entire class of compounds will have the direct effect of significantly reducing shelf life.6
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As long as they dont get rid of hibiclens and such medicinal wound cleaners we are good. I am on antibiotics for a skin infection and need this stuff to make sure i dont infect anyone else.1
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I don't know about other healthcare systems, but the one I work for has forbidden their use by nurses, etc, for years.
The strictly alcohol/antibacterial cleansers fail to get your hands clean, leaving foreign material to later get into wounds, eyes, etc.
The soaps with antibacterials do the job with cleaning, but like the alcohol/antibacterial cleansers they're more likely to dry out your skin, compromising a primary immune barrier and leaving you more susceptible to infection. Probably not much of an issue with the general public, but when you're washing your hands a million times a day, it makes a difference.2 -
As always - FDA about 10-20 years behind the times.3
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It looks like this only effects its use in consumer antibacterial soaps, where it didn't have any merit anyway.This is primarily response to anti-chemical activist pressure. The "antibacterial" label when triclosan was added was pure marketing. The REAL purpose is as an antimycotic. The stuff prevents molds from growing in consumer products, and banning the entire class of compounds will have the direct effect of significantly reducing shelf life.1 -
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I'm glad to read this.1
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My dad was a PhD Chemist who worked in pharmaceuticals. He never allowed antibacterial soaps in our house, and was especially adamant against Triclosan in toothpaste and mouthwash, since even though you spit it out, a bit remains and gets absorbed or swallowed. He suspected it was even a carcinogen. He would periodically raid my sister and my bathroom when we were teenagers, and inspect all the labels on all the products and makeup, throwing out anything with ingredients he new to be harmful. I'm glad of this news.9
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The issue and danger with overuse of antibiotics is bacterial resistance - while everyone knows this they still insist on using antibiotics. The issue now is that the resistant genes are already out there and being shared by bacteria, so stopping the use now is pointless.0
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You don't get penicillin or methicillin or other drug-related antibiotic resistance from triclosan exposure. These are entirely different compounds worth different mechanisms of action and different targets.2
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The issue and danger with overuse of antibiotics is bacterial resistance - while everyone knows this they still insist on using antibiotics. The issue now is that the resistant genes are already out there and being shared by bacteria, so stopping the use now is pointless.
Not pointless.
Selective pressure is required for a high rate of retention for most of those genes over multiple generations. Remove the selective pressure and the percentage of bacteria resistant to that pressure should drop.3 -
The issue and danger with overuse of antibiotics is bacterial resistance - while everyone knows this they still insist on using antibiotics. The issue now is that the resistant genes are already out there and being shared by bacteria, so stopping the use now is pointless.
Not pointless.
Selective pressure is required for a high rate of retention for most of those genes over multiple generations. Remove the selective pressure and the percentage of bacteria resistant to that pressure should drop.
Perhaps for the environmental microbial populations at large; however for the clinically significant pathogens - pointless.0 -
The issue and danger with overuse of antibiotics is bacterial resistance - while everyone knows this they still insist on using antibiotics. The issue now is that the resistant genes are already out there and being shared by bacteria, so stopping the use now is pointless.
Not pointless.
Selective pressure is required for a high rate of retention for most of those genes over multiple generations. Remove the selective pressure and the percentage of bacteria resistant to that pressure should drop.
Perhaps for the environmental microbial populations at large; however for the clinically significant pathogens - pointless.
If you mean eliminating the specific antibiotics in soap is basically meaningless for clinically significant pathogens, then I'd agree.
If you mean that eliminating any antibiotic is pointless to reduce populations of clinically significant pathogens once the resistance is out there, then I'd disagree. Populations of pathogens such as MTB have been followed when this or that antibiotic falls out of favor. When it does, over time the percentage of cases that are resistant to that particular antibiotic decrease.2 -
The issue and danger with overuse of antibiotics is bacterial resistance - while everyone knows this they still insist on using antibiotics. The issue now is that the resistant genes are already out there and being shared by bacteria, so stopping the use now is pointless.
I will avoid taking antibiotics unless it's a life or death situation. Taking them usually gives me worse problems than the actual condition they are trying to treat!3 -
Christine_72 wrote: »The issue and danger with overuse of antibiotics is bacterial resistance - while everyone knows this they still insist on using antibiotics. The issue now is that the resistant genes are already out there and being shared by bacteria, so stopping the use now is pointless.
I will avoid taking antibiotics unless it's a life or death situation. Taking them usually gives me worse problems than the actual condition they are trying to treat!
Me too0
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