BURSTING THE ANTIBACTERIAL BUBBLE 403
Bursting the Antibacterial Bubble
1 In the film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, a boy born with a deficient immune system is
forced to live in a germ–free environment to prevent him from contracting infections. His room is
sealed against bacteria and viruses, his food is specially prepared, and his only human contact
comes in the form of gloved hands.
2 Today millions of Americans are trying to build a bubble around themselves and their
families to keep out germs. The bubble is not made of plastic, however, but of billions of dollars
worth of antibacterial hand wipes, tissues, soaps, and sponges.
3 Before I studied antibacterial products in my public health class, I always used antibacte-
rial hand soaps and antibacterial all–surface cleaner for my apartment. I also know from my class
survey that 70 percent of you use antibacterial soaps, cleaners, and other products.
4 But after learning about the subject in class and reading research studies for this speech,
I’m here to tell you that, try as we might, we cannot build a bubble between ourselves and germs
with antibacterial products and that these products actually create more problems than they solve.
After looking at the problems created by antibacterial products, we’ll explore some solutions.
7 The Boston Globe reports that larger items such as mattresses, countertops, high chairs, and
even children’s toys have been coated with antibacterial chemicals. The New York Times calls the
antibacterial craze “the biggest marketing coup since bottled water.”
8 There’s no doubt that antibacterial products are popular with consumers, but there is a
great deal of doubt about whether they’re effective in stopping the spread of germs. Elaine Larson,
associate dean of the Columbia University School of Nursing, studied 238 families who used anti-
bacterial products and found that they were just as likely to get fevers, sore throats, coughs, rashes,
and stomach problems as families who used regular products. Larson’s findings are echoed by Eric
Kupferberg, associate director of the Harvard School for Public Health, who states: “Antimicrobial
products don’t significantly eliminate the number of germs you encounter on a daily basis.”
404 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
9 Nor do antibacterial products prevent the transmission of diseases such as colds and flus.
Why? Because these illnesses come from viruses, not from bacteria. Antibacterial products don’t
kill viruses. As Dr. Larson explains, “Most of the infections healthy people get are colds, flu, and
diarrhea caused by viruses”—none of which can be prevented by the use of antibacterial products.
12 The problems caused by antibacterial products are so serious that Dr. Myron Genel,
chairman of the American Medical Association’s council on scientific affairs, fears one result may
be the creation of antibiotic–resistant bacteria “that are largely untreatable because they are re-
sistant to existing drugs.”
13 And that’s not all. Besides being ineffective at preventing diseases and being potentially
dangerous to our health, antibacterial household products also appear to harm the environment.
Rolf Halden of Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health reports that each year the
United States releases into the water supply more than 2 million pounds of the active chemicals
in antibacterial soaps.
17 We don’t let people purchase antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, and there’s no
reason we should allow makers of soap, tissues, hand wipes, toothbrushes, and other products to
add powerful antibacterial agents without oversight from the Food and Drug Administration.
Given the problems being caused by these products, it is time for the federal government to take
action.
18 Second, we all need to take action as consumers. Most obviously, we need to stop buying
these products. The best way to avoid germs, says the Centers for Disease Control, is to wash
your hands for 10 to 15 seconds with plain soap and water.
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19 In fact, a study at the University of North Carolina found that washing your hands with
soap and water is more effective at getting rid of germs than using antibacterial hand wipes. Emily
Sickbert-Bennett, a public epidemiologist and co-author of the study, explains that when you use
406 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Bursting the Antibacterial Bubble
Commentary
“Bursting the Antibacterial Bubble” is a carefully researched persuasive speech on a question of policy.
Not only does it illustrate keys to effective persuasive speaking, but it exemplifies how speakers can use
supporting materials to build compelling arguments and bolster their ideas. A video of the speech is
available online and the DVD of student speeches that accompanies this edition of The Art of Public
Speaking. Below is a synopsis of the speech, paying close attention to its main points and use of support-
ing materials.
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that action must be taken to deal with the problems cre-
ated by the use of antibacterial household products.
Central Idea: The use of antibacterial household products is creating health and environmental
problems that require action by government and consumers alike.
Method of Organization: Problem-solution
Introduction: The introduction consists of paragraphs 1–4. Paragraphs 1–2 gain attention by compar-
ing the plotline of the film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble with the overuse of antibacterial prod-
ucts in contemporary society. In paragraphs 3–4 the speaker builds her credibility and relates
the topic directly to her classmates by citing the results of her audience–analysis questionnaire.
Paragraph 4 also states the speaker’s central idea and previews the main points she will de-
velop in the body of the speech.
Body: There are two main points in the body of this speech. The first outlines the problem and is de-
veloped in paragraphs 5–14. The speaker documents the wide use of antibacterial products
(paragraphs 5–7), explaining that they are not effective in stopping the spread of germs or dis-
BURSTING THE ANTIBACTERIAL BUBBLE 407
Supporting Materials: Because this speech deals with a controversial topic and because most people
are not aware of the potential dangers of antibacterial household products, it is imperative that
the speaker back up her claims with strong evidence. For the most part, she does this quite ef-
fectively, citing a wide range of studies and experts in support of her position.
She begins the body of her speech with a series of brief examples showing the wide range
of antibacterial household products currently on the market (paragraphs 5–7). These include
soaps, cotton swabs, shampoos, cutting boards, socks, toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes,
mattresses, countertops, and even children’s toys. As you can see from the video of the speech,
the speaker holds up several of these products for her audience to see as she discusses them.
Although the audience did not need to see these products to understand the speaker’s meaning,
using the products as visual aids makes the speaker’s ideas more vivid and more memorable.
The speaker does not present any extended examples, but this should not be considered a
weakness in her speech. While one or two extended examples might have helped reinforce her
408 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
In paragraph 8 the speaker combines statistics from the Columbia University School of
Nursing with a quotation from Erik Kupferberg, associate director of the Harvard School of
Public Health, stating that “antimicrobial products don’t significantly eliminate the number of
germs you encounter on a daily basis.” She then adds a quotation in paragraph 9 from Dr.
Elaine Larson of Columbia University to support the point that most of the infections healthy
people get are from viruses, which, unlike bacteria, cannot be killed by antibacterial products. In
all three cases, the speaker relies on authoritative sources and identifies them clearly.
The same is true of the testimony used in paragraphs 10–12 to support the claim that antibac-
terial products actually increase a person’s chances of getting sick. In paragraph 10 the speaker
paraphrases microbiology professor Stuart Levy. In paragraph 10 she quotes research scientist
Dr. James Chin, and in paragraph 11 she quotes Dr. Myron Genel, chairman of the American Med-
ical Association’s council on scientific affairs. She caps off the problem section of her speech in
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