Re: antibiotics

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

Bill said in part:

> But it might be more "profitable" to blame those who are responsible for the
> misuse of the antibiotics, the folks who buy it from their LFS or take only
> part of a prescription.

If it was not available non prescription in the first place, we would not be
using it. I cannot see much of a black market developing for "pet trade
drugs" although I suppose one could argue it might develop:-)

I have done something about the issue and found a simple cheap effective
method to beat this algae/Cyano without any drugs so I've done my part and
have spread the gospel in this regard more than most.

Selling non prescription antibiotics drugs in the pet industry and for the
our food supply is unnerving to me.

And I'm not putting these products out on the shelf in the LFS.
"It's sooo easyy!, Just take a magic pill and the algae will go away".
Real words I've heard from the LFS.

> Getting those folks to change their practices would
> solve the problem real fast; blaming big companies or other's in the supply
> chain is painless but won't help much.

Well you could say the exact same thing about the War on Drugs. It's the
users.....they are the real reason, not the producers/growers.

So why are illicit drugs not legal then?
Blaming the drug cartels is "painless"? "Stop bashing those drug cartels" is
what message I'm getting here.

I took a three pronged approach blaming us, gave a solution as to why not to
use it and laid blame on the drug companies. As I recall, they are awful
worried about prescription drug benefits and generics. They have serious
political muscle and some of it certainly is not in the public's interest.
Adding antibiotics to the food supply and selling non prescriptions drugs
are two very large markets that they protect politically. Neither are in the
public's health interest. No blanket statement there.

> As Pogo said, "We has met the enemy and he is us."  So let's "us" just stop
> using that stuff for things for which it wasn't intended.
> Bill

I remember what Bob Dole said about Big Tobacco: "Well we really don't know
for sure if smoking causes lung cancer...."....I think that says it all.

If you believe that "corporate interest are in the public's health interest"
and that I make blanket statements and just like to bash corporate bad boys
about their ethics and political meddlings/control and that it's painless,
well.......maybe we should start selling cigs to minors or putting cig
machines out where minors can get to them? Blame the minors. It's less
painless than blaming the distributors and the the Tobacco "drug cartel".

I gave 3 solutions, Corporate regulation into questionable markets, our own
usage and the effectiveness of alternative methods which is the best method
IMO. 

I like blankets, but I use them to do blackouts so I don't have use things
like antibiotics.  

Regards, 
Tom Barr