Antibiotic resistance is a global crisis, but it’s one we can all do something about.

Everyone:
  • Take antibiotics correctly
    • Only use antibiotics for bacterial illnesses — so not the cold or flu. So don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics for a viral or fungal illness.
    • If you’re prescribed antibiotics, take them for as long as prescribed instead of stopping when you feel better.
    • Don’t use leftover antibiotics or someone else’s — they could be the wrong ones (read more about why that contributes to resistance here).
    • Don’t skip doses
    • Use good hygiene
    • Get your vaccinations
    • Try other ways of making mild symptoms go away e.g. rest, water
  • Tell your friends what you’re doing about this and why
  • Vote for science-friendly policies and to help fund science
  • Spread the message — fill in this form to become an Ambassador for Spotlight ABR
  • Avoid buying from places that use antibiotic-fed meat

If you’re a teacher or principal:
  • See where you can integrate information on public health into the curriculum – it’s important, and it’s a great way to show students how useful science is.
  • Book a workshop on antibiotic resistance for your school (Irish primary or secondary) here.

​If you work in agriculture:
  • Avoid giving antibiotics to healthy animals or allowing them to leak into water supplies
  • If you can influence supply for your company, avoid buying meat from farmers who overuse antibiotics (read here how McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s are phasing out using antibiotic-fed animals)

If you’re a politician or have influence on policy:
  • Make sure your area has a plan for tackling antibiotic resistance
  • Fund scientists to find ways of tackling resistance, new antibiotics and alternatives to antibiotics, and better diagnostics so we can tell quickly who needs an antibiotic and who doesn’t
  • Work to ban over-the-counter antibiotics (as India recently did)
  • Promote vaccination programmes
  • Good sanitation, clean water and preventing overcrowding are important for slowing the spread of antibiotic resistance