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Corrales Says Congress Should Ban Overuse Of Antibiotics On Big Farms

en.wikipedia.org

The Village Council of Corrales is calling on Congress to stop the overuse of antibiotics on industrial livestock operations. Corrales is a bucolic village north of Albuquerque, home to about 8,500 people, some of whom keep farm animals. 

    

Village councilor EnnioGarcia-Miera sponsored the resolution, which passed this week on a 5-to-1 vote. "It’s very much Corrales," he said. "We are a farming, agricultural community. We’re a very green village. That’s part of our culture."

Antibiotics are given to livestock so they gain weight quickly, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But the FDA recommends antibiotics be reserved for medical necessity, because overuse results in drug-resistant bacteria, widely considered a threat to public health.

Corrales joins about 50 other municipalities nationally that have passed similar measures. Though the village is small, Garcia-Miera says the move represents change from the bottom up.

Marisa Demarco began a career in radio at KUNM News in late 2013 and covered public health for much of her time at the station. During the pandemic, she is also the executive producer for Your NM Government and No More Normal, shows focused on the varied impacts of COVID-19 and community response, as well as racial and social justice. She joined Source New Mexico as editor-in-chief in 2021.