Environmental Health

Connecticut Nursing News, Dec 2004-Feb 2005

Environmental Health Training Needed in Pediatric Medical and Nursing Education

Doctors and nurses need more environmental health training to prevent, recognize, and treat diseases caused by environmental exposures, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Go to: www.nursingworld.org/news/ananews. htm#niehs

Pre-convention sessions relate to environmental health

Connecticut Nurses' Association's pre-convention sessions offered valuable information for the attendees on environmental health assessments as part of a nursing assessment, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (go to: www.h2e-online.org), the latest research on particles, Connecticut Fund for the Environment's latest initiatives and the role of the nurse in environmental health advocacy.

CNA has made environmental health part of its legislative agenda and in the 2004 legislative session joined two major coalitions, the Clean Car Alliance and the Endangered Lands Coalition, for major legislative successes related to clean air and clean water.

Connecticut Nurses'Association Passes Environmental Resolution at Annual Business Meeting

With the approval of the resolution, "Decreased Use of Antimicrobials in Animals," the Connecticut Nurses' Association joined 369 other organizations supporting the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment of 2003."

CDC identified growing incidence of anitibiotic-resistant disease as "top concern" for public health

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has identified the growing incidence of antibiotic-resistant disease as a "top concern" for public health in America today. Overuse of antibiotics in human medicine is a major factor in spurring antibiotic resistance, but mounting scientific evidence also points to the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture as an important contributor. An estimated 70% of antibiotics and related drugs used in this country are used as feed additives for livestock and poultry-not to treat sick animals, but rather to promote slightly faster growth and to prevent diseases that would otherwise result from raising animals under stressful, overcrowded, and unsanitary conditions. Nearly 50% of these antibiotics are identical or closely related to important human medicines.

Resistant bacteria reach consumers via contaminated food. In addition, the nearly two trillion pounds of waste from animal agriculture is laced with antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, contaminating soils and waterways. Experience in Europe and with some U.S. producers demonstrates that it is possible to produce safe, affordable meat without feeding antibiotics to livestock and poultry on a routine basis.

Bi-partisan legislation is 'pending in the U.S. House and Senate that would phase out the routine use of medically important antibiotics as feed additives in animal agriculture. The "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act" (S.1460/H.R. 2932) has been endorsed by Connecticut Nurses' Association along with more than 370 health, consumer, agricultural, environmental, humane, religious and other organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, more than 20 state nursing associations as well as state medical associations and scores of other organizations. In June, 2004, the American Nurses Association passed a Resolution at their annual convention calling for an end to this practice as well.

Other organizations that are interested in lending their support to the bills can contact Terri Stiffler from Environmental Defense, tstiffler® environmentaldefense.org. 202/572-3396. Individuals who would like to take further action can participate in one or several of the following activities:

* Sign the Keep Antibiotics Working Pledge to help bolster efforts to change public policies that currently allow routine use of antibiotics in animals that aren't sick, at http:// actionnetwork.org/campaign/Pledge;

* Electronically send letters to your congressional representatives through the Keep Antibiotics Working website's Action Center, at http://keepantibioticsworking.com/ pages/top_act.cfm;

* Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper;

* If you know of anyone who has suffered an antibiotic resistant foodborne infectionplease have them contact Terri Stiffler.

* Ask your health care food provider to consider adopting a procurement policy that has been adopted by Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-see: HCWH purchasing guidelines: www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=893&type= document and HCWH general policy: www. noharm.org/details. cfm?type=document&id= SM;

* Ask local restaurants and grocery stores to carry meats that have not been raised with the routine use of medically important antibiotics as feed additives;

* Use your buying power to purchase meats raised without the routine use of nontherapeutic antibiotics-check out the Eat Well Guide at: http://www.eatwellguide.org/;>* Check out "The Meatrix," an entertaining and informative flash animation feature on factory farming at url: http://www.themeatrix.com: