Antibiotics Anonymous?

Folk in the UK were promised superior environmental regulations, if they voted for Brexit from the EU. Au contraire, they now have dirtier rivers and coastal waters. It also the case that regulations concerning the use of antibiotics by farmers have been weakened. Overuse of antibiotics is resulting in the selection of antibiotic-reistant 'superbugs', threatening a return to a world without cures for bacterial infections. Farmers are banned from using antibiotics on their animals in place of poor hygiene but the new UK laws have many 'escape clauses'. More worrying is the practice of some farmers to use antibiotics to stimulate the growth of stock animals rather than to treat disease. This is even more likely to produce 'superbugs'. It does, however, increase profits (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/17/post-brexit-rules-on-antibiotic-use-on-farms-water-down-eu-laws-experts-say). It's essential to conserve effective antibiotics. New ones are difficult to generate at scale.