No, antibacterial soaps haven't been banned.

 It's triclosan that's been banned, and that's probably a good thing! Triclosan used in soap may actually do more harm than good.

The state of Minnesota recently banned the use of the antibacterial ingredient triclosan.  While the ban doesn't take effect until 2017, the potential side effects and dangers of  using triclosan are quite present and gaining clarity. Click here: for more specific information on the impending Minnesota ban on triclosan

triclosan

 Triclosan has been used in a variety commercial products since the early 1980's. It's overall efficacy and role in the growth of more resistant strains of bacteria has been under scrutiny for more than a decade. The use of triclosan in soap has been proven to promote the build up of  Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in human noses, connected to the growth of breast cancer cells , and has filtered into waterways resulting in the growth of resistant bacteria in rivers and streams.

In addition, the filtration of triclosan into environment has had adverse effects on wildlife populations. The Pacific tree frog is a species that the ubiquitous use of triclosan appears to have seriously impacted.   Surprisingly (to some more than others), the use of triclosan in soap and other commercial products was never really analyzed by the FDA. Only in recent years has the FDA begun to fully question and evaluate its viability. It now appears that triclosan is no more effective than using conventional soap.  Given triclosan's questionable effectiveness, potential health dangers, and environment side effects it would seem that using conventional soap, and hand sanitizers( in moderation) continue to be the best options.