Local drug administration has kick-started a campaign aimed at ridding the city of drug abuse， after claims that the city is the worst in the country for antibiotic abuse according to today's China Daily.
The abuse leads to diverse effects such as allergies，shock and even death，according to Hu Bijie of the pulmonary infections division at the Institute of Respiratory Diseases of China .
The effect of the antibiotics has been greatly reduced and the classification of virus is at risk of becoming disorderly due to the severe abuse, Hu said.
The life period of many of the drug abusers becomes shorter and shorter as most of them become drug-resistant.
New viruses that particularly live on antibiotics have been detected，which has aroused much global concern，Hu said.
He revealed it is all because of the abuse of antibiotics, which can be partly blamed onto the abuser and the doctor.
"It is a task that we must undertake immediately to inform the public on how to use antibiotics properly，and the dangers they face if they do not，" said Yu Jianmin，spokeswoman of the administration.
The data of the administration showed the consumption of antibiotics in Shanghai has reached 35 per cent of the total medical expense. About 80 percent of local households keep antibiotics at home.
More than 80 percent of hospitalized patients use antibiotics，far higher than 30 percent - the investigation result of the World Health Organization conducted around the globe，she said.
Cui Liping，an official of Shanghai No 1 Dispensary Store said that in the first six months of the year，the sales of antibiotics reached 4.88 percent of about 100 drugs sold in total.
Some doctors do not follow the rules，writing the prescription randomly or just out of habit，some surgeons allegedly make antibiotics into liquid to wash wounds，which is a popular mistake in many places，Hu said.
Thus the administration will distribute 60，000 brochures among the city's 1，300 drug stores and urge medical staff to popularize the proper use of antibiotics amongst the public.
It is also a move to welcome the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on Pharmaceutical Administration，" which will go into effect in December this year，said Yu Jianmin.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/16/2001)
