The Truth About Animal Testing Kate H.
How many times have you heard the term “animal testing?” Most everyone has heard it before, but few people know what it actually means and what it involves. What exactly is animal testing?
Animal testing is an extremely contro-
versial topic, and people have all kinds of different views on it. Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation or animal research, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Sometimes the research only involves observing an animal or changing the animal’s diet, but many experiments are also performed on living animals for research to assess the effectiveness and safety of medication and products like cosmetics, household cleaners, and chemicals. According to hsi.org, “all procedures, even those classified as ‘mild,’ have the potential to cause the animals physical as well as psychological distress and suffering.” Some animals are reused, but many animals are killed at the end of an experiment. The most commonly used animals are mice, fish, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, farm animals, birds, cats, dogs, minipigs, and non-human primates such as chimpanzees, apes, gorillas, lemurs, and orangutans. Laboratory mice, rats, and birds, which make up about 95% of all animals tested, are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). This act regulates and limits many aspects of animal research. While many companies sell products that have been tested on animals, many companies, such as Lush Cosmetics, do not test any of their products on animals.
Why does animal testing happen?
Animal research is done in order to find out the effects of procedures, products, or changes in diet or environment on a complete, intact, and living body. According to animalresearch.info, “It is difficult, and in most cases simply not yet possible, to replace the use of living animals in research with alternative methods.” Animal testing began in 1938, when Congress passed the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act due to public outrage after many terrible accidents caused by untested products. More than a dozen women in the 1930s went blind after using a mascara called Lash Lure which was made with a chemical that burned skin. One woman even died from infection because of her dreadful burns. Over 100 people died due to consumption of a cough syrup with the name of Elixir Sulfanilamide because the medicine was dissolved in a toxic liquid. Law in the United States has required the use of animal experimentation to test the safety of medication, toiletries, and cosmetics ever since. Animal testing is considered relevant because humans and animals have a lot in common. Surprisingly, mice and humans share more than ninety-five percent of their genes, and get many of the same diseases. Chimpanzees share 99% of their DNA with humans. Also, non-human mammals share the same basic organs that function in the same way as humans, and humans and mammals both have a heart, lungs, and a liver.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ANIM AL TESTING
Why do people support animal testing? Proponents of animal testing would argue that it has caused scores of scientific and medical breakthroughs and contributed to life-saving cures and treatments. These people say that there is absolutely no alternative to testing on a complete and living system like an animal. They would also use religious traditions as a reason to allow humans control over animals. In Genesis 1:26, the Bible says to let humans “have dominion”over all animals. People would also argue that only a relatively small number of animals are used in research and that the benefits of animal experimentation more than make up for the use of a few animals. These people would compare the large number of the 159 million animals that are consumed by humans in the United States every year to the relatively small number of the 26 million animals that are used for research. Procon.org states that “we consume more than 340 chickens for every research animal.” People would also argue that animals have no rights and lack reason and moral judgement. These people say that all humans would have to become vegetarians and quit hunting if we gave animals rights. They would also say that animals are better to use for research than humans because animals have shorter life spans, so the scientists can study the animal or see the effects of whatever was used on the animal over the animal’s entire lifespan.
Many people argue that animal testing saves so many lives that it makes up for the use of some animals in testing.
Why are people against animal testing? Non-supporters of animal experimentation would claim that the question is not whether or not an organism can reason or talk or vote, but whether or not they can suffer. They would say that the capacity to suffer is what makes animals deserve the same consideration as humans. These people would also say that animal testing is cruel and inhumane. People who support animal testing would say that animals used for research are treated humanely, but nonsupporters would say that there is no “humane” way to experiment on a living creature. According to Humane Society International, animals frequently have to go through food and water deprivation, oral force-feeding, forced inhalation, electric shock or forced swimming, physical restraint, food and water deprivation, and killing by asphyxiation, neck-breaking, or decapitation. Opponents of animal testing say this is cruel. Non-supporters would also say that drugs that pass animal tests are not always safe. For example, a sleeping pill called thalidomide in the 1950s caused thousands of babies to be born with severe deformities, even though it was tested on animals before its release. Non-supporters would also cite religious traditions as a reason to be against animal testing. People would say that animals should be treated with mercy and not experimented on and therefore subjected to suffering because Proverbs 12:10 in the Bible says, “A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast…” Buddhism teaches that hurting or killing an animal is wrong because both humans and animals fear injury and death. The hindu doctrine of ahmisa says not to treat animals badly. Opponents would also say that enough alternatives to animal testing exist that it is no longer necessary.
KATE H.
Where does animal testing take place? Animal testing usually occurs at universities, medical schools, private companies, and government laboratories. Animal testing happens almost everywhere in the world. Animal testing is regulated in Canada, but not as strictly as it is in the United Kingdom, where animal testing for cosmetic products is banned. Testing cosmetic products on animals is also banned in all other member states of the European Union and in India, Norway, and Israel. In Asia, there is little monitoring done for animal testing, and the regulations are not very strict at all. The public opinion on animal testing in Australia is similar to the views of people in Britain, where there is almost no support for cosmetics testing on animals. However, Australia’s regulations for animal experimentation are more lax than in Britain. The United States and Gabon are the only two countries that allow experimentation on chimpanzees.
Many companies do not test any of their products on animals and protest animal testing,
Many people believe animal testing is absolutely necessary.
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