Florez moves to ban antibiotics from school menus
Bill phases out use in all feed animals, in battle to counter drug resistance in humans

SACRAMENTO – A measure by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) to phase out the use of antibiotics in food animals will be up for a vote Tuesday in Senate Food and Agriculture Committee.  Senate Bill 416 seeks to reduce human consumption of unnecessary antibiotics, which contribute to a rise in human resistance to antibiotics.

Under SB 416, schools could not serve meat or poultry treated with non-therapeutic antibiotics after January 1, 2012.  By 2015, the ban on non-therapeutic antibiotics would apply to any animal raised for human consumption in the state.

“We tell people to take antibiotics only as prescribed for the very reason that they not develop resistance to these drugs they may need when they are truly sick,” Florez said, “Then we feed those same antibiotics daily to the animals they will consume.  It just doesn’t make any sense to take this gamble with the long-term health of our communities.”

Supporters of SB 416 include Consumers Union and Food & Water Watch.  Tuesday’s hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. in Room 113 of the California State Capitol.

*** MEDIA ADVISORY *** MEDIA ADVISORY *** MEDIA ADVISORY *** 

WHO:             Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter
                        Chair, Senate Food and Agriculture Committee

WHAT:           Hearing on SB 416 – Banning antibiotics in school meals 

WHEN:           Tuesday, April 21, 2009
                        9:30 a.m.

WHERE:         State Capitol, Room 113; Sacramento, CA

For Immediate Release                           Jennifer Hanson
April 20, 2009                                         916-651-4016