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The document analyzes the increasing use of antibacterial products and identifies several key issues: 1) Antibacterial products are widely used but their effectiveness is questionable, as studies found people using them were just as likely to get sick. They also do not prevent viral illnesses. 2) Widespread use may increase chances of illness and antibiotic resistance due to over-exposure reducing the immune system's effectiveness. 3) Chemicals from antibacterial products pollute water supplies and disrupt ecosystems. The document argues for regulating antibacterial products and encouraging consumers to use plain soap and water instead, which is more effective at removing germs. It effectively supports its arguments with statistics, examples, and expert testimony.

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Sweetzel Llorica
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79 views

Analyze

The document analyzes the increasing use of antibacterial products and identifies several key issues: 1) Antibacterial products are widely used but their effectiveness is questionable, as studies found people using them were just as likely to get sick. They also do not prevent viral illnesses. 2) Widespread use may increase chances of illness and antibiotic resistance due to over-exposure reducing the immune system's effectiveness. 3) Chemicals from antibacterial products pollute water supplies and disrupt ecosystems. The document argues for regulating antibacterial products and encouraging consumers to use plain soap and water instead, which is more effective at removing germs. It effectively supports its arguments with statistics, examples, and expert testimony.

Uploaded by

Sweetzel Llorica
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sweetzel M.

Llorica

MA-ENGLISH

MA600

Analyze “Bursting the Antibacterial Bubble” (pp. A9-A11) in the appendix of sample speeches. Identify the
main points of the speech and the supporting materials used for each. Evaluate the speaker’s use of
supporting materials in light of the criteria discussed in chapter 8.

Antibacterial products are popping up just about everywhere

- The next time you go to the store, try to find a liquid soap that is not antibacterial. According to
the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, 75 percent of all liquid soaps and 33 percent of
all bar soaps are antibacterial.
- In fact, there are more than 1,000 antibacterial household products on the market. In addition
to all the soaps and cleaning products, there are also antibacterial cotton swabs, tons of
antibacterial shampoos, and this antibacterial cutting board from Williams Sonoma. You can
even get antibacterial socks, mouthwash, toothpaste, and, to protect you while away from
home, this travel toothbrush with antibacterial bristles.
- The Boston Globe reports that larger items such as mattresses, countertops, high chairs, and
even children’s toys have been coated with antibacterial chemicals. The New York Times
calls the antibacterial craze “the biggest marketing coup since bottled water.”
A great deal of doubt about whether they’re effective in stopping the spread of germs

- Elaine Larson, associate dean of the Columbia University School of Nursing, studied 238
families who used antibacterial products and found that they were just as likely to get fevers,
sore throats, coughs, rashes, and stomach problems as families who used regular products.
Larson’s findings are echoed by Eric Kupferberg, associate director of the Harvard School for
Public Health, who states: “Antimicrobial products don’t significantly eliminate the number of
germs you encounter on a daily basis.”
- Nor do antibacterial products prevent the transmission of diseases such as colds and flus.
Why? Because these illnesses come from viruses, not from bacteria. Antibacterial products
don’t kill viruses. As Dr. Larson explains, “Most of the infections healthy people get are colds,
flu, and diarrhea caused by viruses”—none of which can be prevented by the use of
antibacterial products.
Increase your chances of getting sick

- According to Stuart Levy, a professor of microbiology and medicine at Tufts University,


excessive use of antibacterial products in the home can make children more likely to develop
allergies and asthma.
People who use antibacterial products may become more susceptible to infections

- Dr. James Chin, a research scientist in New South Wales, Australia, says: “The way we stay
healthy is by low-dose exposure to bacteria and viruses. You need to exercise your immune
system in the same way you need to exercise your muscles to be fit. If you don’t do that, your
immune system doesn’t have a chance to do battle when it engages with an infection.”
- The problems caused by antibacterial products are so serious that Dr. Myron Genel, chairman
of the American Medical Association’s council on scientific affairs, fears one result may be the
creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria “that are largely untreatable because they are resistant
to existing drugs.”
Antibacterial household products also appear to harm the environment

- Rolf Halden of Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health reports that each year the
United States releases into the water supply more than 2 million pounds of the active
chemicals in antibacterial soaps. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that chemicals from
antibacterial products are winding up in streams and groundwater from the Denver area to
remote locations in the Rocky Mountains. These chemicals are known to pollute the water
supply, disrupt fish reproduction and growth, and, because they do not decompose quickly,
remain active for years and years.

Now that we’ve seen the seriousness of the problem, let’s look at some solutions.

First, we need federal legislation regulating the use of household antibacterial products.

- Just as the Food and Drug Administration has regulations controlling the use of antibiotics, so, too,
should it institute regulations controlling the use of antibacterial products. We don’t let people
purchase antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, and there’s no reason we should allow makers of
soap, tissues, hand wipes, toothbrushes, and other products to add powerful antibacterial agents
without oversight from the Food and Drug Administration. Given the problems being caused by these
products, it is time for the federal government to take action.

Second, we all need to take action as consumers.

- Most obviously, we need to stop buying these products. The best way to avoid germs, says the Centers
for Disease Control, is to wash your hands for 10 to 15 seconds with plain soap and water. In fact, a
study at the University of North Carolina found that washing your hands with soap and water is more
effective at getting rid of germs than using antibacterial hand wipes. Emily Sickbert-Bennett, a public
epidemiologist and co-author of the study, explains that when you use soap and water, the germs go
down the drain, but with waterless antibacterial hand wipes, “you never rinse your hands. You are just
rubbing a chemical into your hand and letting it dry.”

The article generally is very informative because it was clearly explained with the use of examples, testimonies, and
statistics. It did not just inform the readers, but also persuade them. As I have identified above the following main
points and supporting materials, it can be seen that statistics was utilized by citing specific numbers. It was also
reinforced by enumerating examples that would validate the data. People expert in a certain field were also cited.
Furthermore, there were also stories and testimonies that gave impact and credibility to the article. Hence, this article
can be considered a quality one since it mostly had all the criteria that qualify as a good supporting material.

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