New Germ Study Prompts Airport Bin Warning Ads

PETA Says Filth in Bins Is Nothing Compared to Mad Cow Disease, E. Coli, and Other Deadly Bacteria in Meat

For Immediate Release:
September 6, 2018

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

On the heels of a new study that found that plastic bins for items going through security, not toilets, are the biggest culprit for spreading germs in airports, PETA is set to place ads inside the bins at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—the busiest airport in the U.S.—that warn, “Meat Kills—Go Vegan,” and list some of the numerous health risks associated with consuming animal flesh.

“An airport bin may carry more germs than a toilet, but a piece of meat can give you E. coli, mad cow disease, SARS, bird flu, campylobacter, salmonella, and other stomach-churning, potentially deadly diseases,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s travelers’ advisory may help prevent humans—as well as those who are chopped up for meat—from suffering and dying, and it’s just the ticket for anyone thinking of going vegan.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes that mad cow disease was found in the U.S. as recently as this summer. In addition to carrying a high risk of contamination from pathogens, meat contains no fiber and is packed with artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegans are less prone to suffering from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer than meat-eaters are.

Each person who goes vegan also saves nearly 200 animals every year from daily suffering and a terrifying death: In today’s meat and dairy industries, cows are forcibly separated from their beloved calves, chickens’ throats are cut while they’re still conscious, piglets are castrated without painkillers, and fish are cut open while they’re still alive.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.