California is about to enact the strictest law yet on antibiotic use in farms

Antibiotic resistance is now considered a catastrophic threat to public health, as more and more deadly, drug-resistant bacteria have been appearing in our cities, farms, and hospitals. In theory, the solution should be simple: We need to stop overusing antibiotics. Yet nearly every attempt to do so thus far has failed.

Now California is taking drastic measures. This weekend, Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign the toughest restrictions yet on antibiotic use in the United States, banning the state's livestock producers from using certain antibiotics for disease prevention or growth promotion.