Summary

Antibacterials are a type of chemical agents used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. They can be found in various consumer products such as soaps, hand sanitizers, and cleaning products. However, antibacterial or their progeny, antibiotics, can hurt the body’s own immune response and make it difficult to protect itself against harmful germs. In addition, continued misuse and overuse of antibiotics gives bacteria the opportunity to grow resistant to treatment and poses the threat of bacterial infections that are much harder to treat. Antibiotics could also hamper how the immune system works in other infections such as viral and other fungal infections.

Intended Positives

They are intended to reduce the spread of bacterial infections and illnesses.

Known or Announced Negatives

Overuse of antibacterials can lead to antibiotic resistance, where bacteria develop the ability to resist the effects of antibiotics. Additionally, some antibacterials can also be harmful to human health, particularly when used in high concentrations. More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result.

Observed Positives

Antibacterials can be effective in reducing the spread of bacterial infections and illnesses.

Observed Negatives

And some antibacterial cleaning products have not been proven to be better at removing bacterial than other products, according to the FDA.

References