Nearly 83.3 percent Chinese respondents are calling for strengthening supervision surrounding antibiotic use in consideration of widespread antibiotic misuse around China and the related potential risks, according to a poll recently conducted by China Youth Daily, Cyol.com reported on March 22.

The poll surveyed 2003 respondents, among which 67.1% and 51.2% suggested strict investigation regarding the abuse of antibiotics in medical institutions and the breeding industry, respectively. About 63.2% hope food and drug departments and hospitals will publicize knowledge on antibiotic use to the public.

Respondents say many Chinese people use antibiotics as a panacea without doctors’ prescriptions, and some pharmacies and clinics sell antibiotics to consumers without official prescriptions, making antibiotics easily accessible to the public.

Qiu Hong, a doctor at a Hebei-based public hospital, introduced that abuse of antibiotics impairs the microecological balance in human body, which can sometimes intensify infections. It may also induce bacteria resistance, resulting in treatment failure.

Wang Xuegong, vice chairman of China Pharmaceutical Industry Association also noted that abuse of antibiotics in the breeding industry will influence people’s health, as the antibiotics will after all enter the food chain.

Statistics show that in 2013, 162 kilotons of antibiotics were used in China, of which 52 percent were veterinary and 48 percent for humans.