The benefits of antibacterial soaps

Posted on July 23rd, 2022.

It's unfortunate that this column on antibacterial soaps, by Tribune health and fitness reporter Julie Deardorff, does not provide a complete and accurate picture of how these products are used beneficially and safely by millions of consumers every single day.

Antibacterial soaps and washes--whether used by consumers in the home or medical personnel in the hospital--reduce or eliminate bacteria that can lead to skin infections, intestinal illnesses or other commonly transmitted diseases.

Additionally these products are essential for the following:

- Individuals who are in close physical contact with people at high risk for infection, such as the elderly cared for in retirement facilities or the immuno-suppressed.

- Individuals who are in contact with people infected with an organism likely to be transmitted by direct contact, such as diarrhea, upper respiratory infections and skin infections.

-Individuals who are in settings in which infectious disease transmission is likely, such as in food preparation, chronic-care residences, prisons, child-care centers and preschools.

For millions of Americans, these situations are normal occurrences, further showcasing the role antibacterial products play in everyday life.

And to reiterate what the column's author tries to dismiss: After decades of use, there is no evidence suggesting that real-life use of antibacterial hygiene and cleaning products leads to antibiotic resistance. Extensive data on the environmental and human health safety of individual active ingredients exist.

These materials do biodegrade in the environment. No harmful environmental effects have been demonstrated from the discovery of microscopic trace amounts, even after decades of use.

And contrary to the suggestions of one single study, lifetime laboratory studies show frogs' thyroids are not adversely affected by triclosan.

Nor is the life span of the animals adversely affected by triclosan.

The problem we face today is not the overuse of beneficial hygiene products. It is misinformation that could dissuade people from engaging in common-sense hygiene practices that can protect them from serious illness.

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