Viva! 8 York Court Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8QH Tel: 0117 944 1000 Fax: 0117 924 4646 email: media@viva.org.uk	26 February 2001 Don't Panic Buy, Go Veggie! Viva! today called upon the public not to ‘panic-buy’ as meat stocks in stores begin to dwindle. Instead, the vegetarian charity is asking shoppers to stop buying meat altogether, describing this as "the only sane response" to the intensifying foot-and-mouth disease crisis. "This is yet another wake-up call for consumers," says spokesperson Becky Smith. "The continual demand for cheap meat has led to the development factory farming systems which cause animals to suffer and disease to spread. Instead of rushing out to buy meat products, people need to start thinking about changing their diet." Viva! has issued constant warnings about the implications of factory farming since its launch six years ago. It believes that disease outbreaks are inevitable when animals are reared intensively in their thousands and is calling for a complete overhaul of Britain’s agriculture industry. "We cannot continue to blunder through one crisis after another whilst categorically refusing to look at the root causes of the problem," says Ms Smith. "If we don’t act now, things are only going to get worse." Free advice packs, containing vegetarian nutritional advice and meat-free recipes, are being offered to all concerned members of the public and the charity expects to see a rise in the number of vegetarians in the UK in the coming weeks. "If people are distressed by the images of huge animal bonfires appearing on their television screens, they should think about what happens behind the closed doors of the slaughterhouse. Over two million animals are killed each day and our research has shown that they suffer terribly," says Ms Smith. "Going vegetarian means refusing to be a part of this toll of disease, sickness and abuse." More information from Becky Smith, Juliet Gellatley or Tony Wardle on 0117 944 1000 Visit the following Viva! Guides for further information Nutrition in a Nutshell and Pam Ferris Cooks Veggie Both are also available to buy from our online bookshop