Antibiotic resistance is a major problem that continues to expand as it threatens the lives of individuals around the world. Antibiotic drugs are used to treat infections or diseases caused by bacteria. Antibiotics can save lives; however, excessive or improper use of antibiotic medications causes antibiotics to lose their effectiveness over time. Society must take action to slow the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by taking antibiotics correctly and eliminating their overuse. All bacteria have the potential to develop resistance to antibiotics. According to P. Collignon “almost all bacteria that infect humans show increasing resistance” (1109). The main treatment for bacterial infections is antibiotic therapy. The bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics and then reproduce (Collignon 1109). The proliferation of these bacteria leads to infections that are difficult to treat. Everyone has the potential to develop an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. The presence of antibiotic resistance is widespread throughout the world (Collignon 1109). Some bacterial strains are resistant only to certain forms of antibiotic treatment, while other strains are resistant to all antibiotics. These bacterial strains have evolved to no longer respond to antibiotics of any kind. Examples of antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and beta-lactamase E. coli (ESBL E. coli) (Collignon 1109). Because these bacterial strains do not respond to antibiotic treatment, the use of antibiotics is ineffective and may only exacerbate these infections. Several factors have been identified that contribute to the development of resistance...... half of article ...... keeping treatment costs low. Society needs to worry about antibiotic resistance as it will impact future generations. The World Health Organization shares its concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by stating: “Without urgent and coordinated action, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, where common infections and minor injuries , which have been curable for decades, can once again kill” (qtd. in Warren). Antibiotics are necessary to effectively treat bacterial infections and diseases. With the use of antibiotics, patients are able to recover from various diseases. If the bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics, there will be no way to fight bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance will create a world with many incurable diseases in the future if actions are not taken to slow the progression of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.