AR-News: Fw: Improve School Lunches! SEND ACTION~a13032u454921

[Andrew Gach]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Union of Concerned Scientists Action Network" <action at ucsaction.org>
To: <UncleWolf at olypen.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 2:56 PM
Subject: Improve School Lunches! SEND ACTION~a13032u454921


> ACTION URGENTLY NEEDED!  PLEASE RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!
>
> Chicken served to our nation's kids through the National School Lunch
Program does not currently meet the standards for antibiotic use adopted by
fast-food chains like McDonald's. Realizing that children are especially
vulnerable to the dangers of foodborne illness and antibiotic-resistant
infections, the U.S. Senate recently voted to ban the use of school lunch
funds to buy chicken raised using fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics
that includes Cipro.
>
> The Senate and House will soon meet to resolve differences between their
two versions of this bill. Tell your representative to sign the letter that
is being circulated by Representative Sherrod Brown(D-OH) urging House
negotiators to join the Senate in protecting children from the dangers of
antibiotic resistance.
> THE DEADLINE FOR SIGNING IS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 AT 6:00 PM EST.
>
> TAKE ACTION:
> To automatically send the letter below to your representative, hit "Reply"
and then "Send" in your email program.
>
> To customize your letter, learn more about the issue, or if this message
was forwarded to you, visit
> http://www.ucsaction.ctsg.com/ctt.asp?u=454921&l=8535
>
>
> ***********************
> Dear Representative,
>
> I am writing to ask you to sign Representative Sherrod Brown's (D-OH)
letter to House conferees supporting Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) school
lunch amendment in the 2004 agriculture appropriations bill. This amendment
will help reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria by prohibiting the use of
federal funds to purchase chicken for school lunches that has been treated
with fluoroquinolones (a class of antibiotics that includes Cipro).
>
> Chicken in the federal school lunch program should meet the same standards
for antibiotic use as food provided for customers at McDonald's, Wendy's,
and other fast-food restaurants. Those restaurants have stopped buying
chicken treated with fluoroquinolones because its use in poultry contributes
to increasing human cases of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter, a cause of
severe abdominal pains, fever, and diarrhea. Children are especially
vulnerable to the dangers of foodborne illness and antibiotic-resistant
infections.
>
> Congress must protect our school children from the threat of
antibiotic-resistant infections by banning the use of federal funds to
purchase chicken that has been treated with fluoroquinolones. Please urge
the House conferees to support the Senate provision by signing
Representative Brown's letter. To do so, please contact Ed Walz in
Representative Brown's office at 202-225-3401 or email
ed.walz at mail.house.gov by close of business on Thursday, November 13, 2003.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> [your name will be inserted]
>
>
> ************
> If you have general questions, comments or concerns about this
> action, send email to action at ucsusa.org -- replying to this action
> will send the letter.
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
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> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
>