The emergence of resistant bacteria is widely attributed by public health experts to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics.

Antibacterial wash products have been used by consumers and medical professionals for more than 30 years.  If there were a link between antibacterial use and antibiotic resistance, experts believe it would have been seen by now in settings, such as hospitals, where antibacterial products are used extensively to stop the spread of bacteria and antibiotic resistance is closely monitored. ACI's research has focused on studies of bacteria in the home and hospitals, and extensive reviews of all available literature.