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European Antibiotic Awareness Day: An Overview of Antibiotic Use and Resistance in FranceThe widespread and repeated use of antibiotics leads, over time, to an increase in bacterial resistance, which threatens the effectiveness of treatments and has a significant impact on public health: in France, 158,000 people contract a multi-drug-resistant bacterial infection each year, and 12,500 (or 8%) die from it.Although antibiotic resistance in France does not reach the levels observed in some of our close neighbors, such as Italy, Greece, or Eastern European countries, it is nevertheless far higher than in Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, or Germany—countries that consume very few antibiotics. France ranks among the top antibiotic-consuming countries in Europe, just behind Greece. It consumes 30% more than the European average—three times as much as the most prudent countries, which are comparable to us in many respects. This overconsumption results in an unjustified expenditure of 71 million euros compared to the European average, and 441 million euros compared to the most prudent countries.On the occasion of European Antibiotic Awareness Day on November 18, 2015, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) and the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) are publishing, for the second consecutive year, a report on antibiotic consumption and resistance data in France over a ten-year period (2004–2014) and, for the first time, pharmacovigilance data on the adverse effects of antibiotic classes.After three consecutive years of increases, outpatient antibiotic consumption declined slightly in 2014; nevertheless, consumption trends over the past ten years still follow an overall upward trajectory. In healthcare facilities, however, consumption remained stable between 2013 and 2014. However, increased use of carbapenems—so-called “last-resort” antibiotics—was observed in 2014.Regarding the evolution of antibiotic resistance, heightened vigilance is still necessary for Enterobacteriaceae, particularly due to the increase in strains producing ESBLs (extended-spectrum beta-lactamases) and the particularly concerning emergence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.In light of these results, the sustained and determined commitment of prescribers, patients, and public authorities remains essential to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics.