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FDA To Decide Fate of Triclosan, Commonly Used In Antibacterial Soaps
kkleiner writes "The FDA is finalizing its review of the antibacterial agent triclosan common to many soaps and other health/household products after four decades of use. Recent studies suggest the chemical may be harmful to animals and could interfere with the human immune system along with increasing the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The agency has been slow to cast a verdict, to much criticism considering its widespread use."
There is only on kind of soap that works, the one that ALL the doctors are using, the plain, simple, normal SOAP. No artificial ingredients, no strawberry scent (who wanna to eat soap!!!) nothing.
Actually, on a more serious note, TFA is not talking about antibiotics. The word used is antibacterial, which refers to things that can kill bacteria while not being harmful to humans. For more clarity, a better term would be antimicrobial soaps, because they can also work on a variety of other microbes. But there is no real relationship between these agents and the kinds of antibiotics that come in pills.
Breakfast served all day!
It isn't just the immune system that it affects. It has been shown to decrease muscle strength--including the heart. It also readily reacts with the chlorine in household tap water to form chloroform, a recognized carcinogen.
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once
If they were banned hopefully I could get a prescription for the soap.
You could probably still get something like a chlorhexidine - it's antiseptic and antibiotic. One brand name is hibiclens. Vets use it a lot with animals with wounds and someone once told me it was also used as a surgical hand scrub.
regular soap kills bacteria just fine.
No it doesn't. Soap just serves to make the surface of your skin slippery enough to shed the little buggars. If we all really felt the need to kill germs sans anti-bacterial chemicals we should be washing with bleach, but since that's not really a good idea for your skin our military-industrial complex came up with "anti-bacterials". By the way- researchers were warning us about the rise of superbugs becuase we started down this stupid path 30 years ago. I guess as usual we all refused to listen. Now we have a huge, hideous, monster of a problem looming. Good job, humanity.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
The point of soap is not to kill the bacteria, but to make it easier to wash things off the skin that would not wash off with water alone.
Yes, but when serious studies show that antibacterial soap is no more effective than non-antibacterial, why use the one with a chemical that potentially screws with your hormones?
In addition, it seems that nanoscopic metals can be used for antibacterial purposes as well.
I don't read AC A human right
I'm undoing all my mod points in this thread, but my problem with antibacterial soap is the fact that there is virtually NO liquid soaps available that are NOT antibacterial now. Seriously, go look at the soap isle at your grocery store. Virtually all the dish soaps are antibacterial, as are the 'hand' soaps (the ones for your bathroom sink). Short of buying the 15$ for 7 ounces of special organic soap, there is no non antibacterial option available for consumers (no reasonably priced one that is). If the FDA chooses to regulate it, at least a few companies will probably quit using it, thus finally giving the consumer a choice in the matter.
I've decided to Diversify my Holdings. I've divided my cash between my left and right pockets, instead of all in one.