[00:00.10]From VOA Learning English,
[00:02.48]this is the Health Report.
[00:05.63]One of the best ways to avoid getting sick
[00:09.62]is washing your hands with soap and water.
[00:14.27]It has been shown effective in removing harmful germs
[00:19.04]and preventing their spread.
[00:21.89]Some companies have gone to great lengths
[00:25.30]to manufacture germ-killing products
[00:29.76]like antibacterial soaps.
[00:32.62]In the United States,
[00:34.52]a federal agency recently called
[00:38.23]on the makers of such soaps
[00:40.93]to prove they are more effective
[00:44.08]than traditional soap and water.
[00:47.58]The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said
[00:50.83]the widespread use of antibacterial soaps
[00:55.58]may be partly to blame for an increase
[00:59.72]in rising rates of drug-resistant bacteria,
[01:04.97]some evidence have suggested the products
[01:08.97]may even be harmful to your health.
[01:12.72]The FDA has proposed that manufacturers
[01:17.63]be required to prove that antimicrobial soaps
[01:22.80]lower rates of disease more than other soaps.
[01:27.96]It would also require the companies to show
[01:31.67]how these cleanser do more good than harm.
[01:37.22]FDA officials estimate there are about
[01:41.74]2,000 antimicrobial soaps on the market.
[01:47.03]People may think such products do a better job
[01:51.64]protecting them from getting sick, however,
[01:55.69]some studies suggest long-term use of the products
[02:00.50]can affect hormone levels and may be linked to cancer.
[02:06.35]The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
[02:10.15]has taken legal action against the FDA
[02:14.51]for letting companies use the chemicals triclosan
[02:19.71]and triclocarban in soaps.
[02:23.26]Mae Wu is a lawyer with the group.
[02:27.46]"I think it's a great for start."
[02:29.32]But soap industry representatives say
[02:32.57]they do not understand the FDA proposal.
[02:37.67]In a statement, the Personal Care Products Council says
[02:42.68]it has already given in-depth data to the government.
[02:48.44]It says the information shows that antibacterial soaps
[02:54.20]are more effective in killing germs
[02:57.75]when compared with non-antibacterial soap.
[03:02.91]It also says the soaps do not add to resistance of antibiotic drugs.
[03:10.20]Sandra Kweder is the Deputy Director of the FDA.
[03:16.06]She says her agency's move is an attempt
[03:20.93]to learn the benefits of using antibacterial products
[03:26.67]and their possible risks.
[03:29.18]If the proposed rule is approved,
[03:32.34]soap manufacturers would have to carry out studies
[03:37.08]showing their products are safe and more effective than plain soap.
[03:43.58]If approved, Ms Kweder expects the rule would take effect in 2016.
[03:51.09]And that's the Health Report from VOA Learning English.
[03:55.45]I'm Milagros Ardin.