RESIDENTS are being urged not to misuse antibiotics and to help preserve them for future generations.

Warrington Borough Council’s public health team is urging residents to pledge not to misuse or overuse antibiotics and become an antibiotics guardian as part of Antibiotics Awareness Week.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics can lead to bacteria developing a resistance to essential medicines, and the more a person uses antibiotics the less affect they become.

Antibiotics should be taken as prescribed and never saved for other occasions or shared with others.

Cllr Maureen McLaughlin said: “Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing us today – if we don’t work together and take action we risk losing some of our most precious medicines.

“Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic – they become antibiotic resistant so that the antibiotic no longer works.

“There are very few new antibiotics in the development pipeline which is why it is crucial that we use our existing antibiotics wisely and make sure these life-saving medicines continue to stay effective for ourselves, our children and grandchildren.”

To become an antibiotic guardian visit antibioticguardian.com.