It seems to me that this problem is the same as the general problem of non-renewable resource use.
If the use of antibiotics results in their being, after X uses, ineffective, then they are a limited resource, as we believe oil to be. All of the relevant literature applies. I am particularly impressed with what Murray Rothbard has to say about this in his _Man, Economy, and State_. >From a modern philosophical perspective, I would also recommend the recent book by Jan Narveson, _Respecting Persons in Theory and Practice_, which has a chapter on the general problem of resource use. My normative take on this: If you want to take antibiotics, you are either correct (the diagnosis that you have a bacterial infection, as opposed to a virus) and it will be effective (the bacteria are not resistant). In this case, your own self-interest will guide you to the public good. You don't want to pay for and use the drug unless it works. It will certainly be the case (by stipulation) that antibiotics will start being less effective. When it becomes economically feasible, tests may be used to determine whether one's bacterial infection will respond to antibiotics. This might be about the time that the product of the incidence of resistant bacterial infections and the cost of treatment by antibiotics exceeds the cost of the test. Worries about future generations must be pooh-poohed. If the future generations argument has any validity, we should never use antibiotics. Gil Guillory, P.E. Process Design and Project Engineering KBR, KT-3131B email [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone 713-753-2724(w) or 281-362-8061(h) or 281-620-6995(m) fax 713-753-3508 or 713-753-5353 > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Giesbrecht [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 12:40 PM > To: ARMCHAIR (E-mail) > Subject: Antibiotic Resistent Bacteria > > > Can economics provide any answers the the question, "what > should be done about the problem of deadly bacteria > developing resistence to antibiotics?" The reason I ask is it > seems to be a prisoner's delimma. If everybody would forego > the use of antibiotics, except in extreme circumstances, > bacteria would not be able to evolve so quickly into > antibiotic resistant strains. But I'm not everybody, I'm only > me. I should take antibiotics whenever my health would > benefit from my doing so. > > Warm regards, > Michael Giesbrecht > Internet Engineering > Lucasfilm Ltd. > > "I am anticipating the day when the possession of Tibet and > Afghanistan will be represented as vitally necessary to the > security of Kansas and Nebraska. There is no logical end to > this elastic conception of 'security' short of the conquest > of the whole world." --William Henry Chamberlin, "War - > Shortcut to Fascism," American Mercury, LI, 204 (December 1940) > >
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