Animal testing describes procedures performed on living animals to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of medications, check the safety of products destined for human use and other biomedical, commercial and health care uses. This kind of research has been practiced since at least 500 BC. It is estimated that there are more than 115 million animals used in laboratory experiments every year worldwide. The most common animals are mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs and rabbits. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport and dealers. However, the most used animals - mice and rats - are excluded from this act. In addition, there is the PHS Policy on Human Care and Use of Laboratory Animals that must be followed by institutions that receive federal funds for research with any vertebrate animal.
The most common reason why animals are used for research purposes is because they are biologically similar to humans and susceptible to many of the same health problems. Moreover, scientists can easily control their environment which would be more difficult in human testing. Furthermore, mice as an example also have a short life cycle so they can be studied throughout their whole lifespan, Yet, over 90% of drugs tested on animals fail in human trials, according to the National Institute of Health. Furthermore, the testing procedures are mostly cruel and inhumane. Animals are suffering and experience severe stress. Only a very low percentage of the test animals survive the experiments.
In my opinion, animal testing should be banned because no animal should have to live under these conditions. There are not enough benefits to animal testing to justify it. Animals are just not similar enough to humans so the experiments could work. The failure rate is too high and the drugs that passed animal tests are not necessarily safe. New methods to assure the safety of products do exist. Cruelty-free drugs or cosmetic products are tested with human tissue-based and human cell-based research methods amongst others. Cruelty-free means that there are no animals included in the research. There are other methods so I think we should also use them instead of creating so much harm to these animals.
What do you think about animal testing?
Should it be banned? Why or why not?
Do you pay attention to whether the products you buy are cruelty-free?
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-animal-testing
https://www.peta.org/features/faqs-about-animal-testing/
https://redorangepeach.com/animal-cruelty/testing-in-usa/
https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/taking-suffering-out-science
Replies
I feel that animal testing should be banned. It just shows the affects on animals. Though they can be similar, it does not mean they are the same reaction. Humans share some DNA with bananas but they do not test on bananas. The reason why they test is to be "safe" for humans. How can people do this to healthy animals just to get a new lotion or a new lipstick?
I totally agree with you. The animals might be similiar but they are still so much different than humans and their reaction also aren't necessarily similar to human reaction.
I think that animal testing should be banned, the testing is not accurate enough to prove what we are testing them for. Animals are also alive and feel pain, just like humans, no matter how weird or gross they are to us. They do not deserve to go through the stress and pain animal testing puts them through.
I don't think that animal testing should be banned. Testing on animals is better than testing humans. Some of or best medicines comes from testing animals. I personally do not pay attention to wether the products are cruelty free or not. I think that animal testing is acceptable.
I can understand your point to a certain degree. Of course, we don't want to get humans harmed either. However, we do have better testing options which don't include any living animal/human and are more accurate.
This is a very interesting topic. Thank you for expressing your opinion. I really hope that animal testing does aventaly stop. But would you rather it be on humans, and i know that it hurts the animals but humans are the ones doing it. We should just make products safer in general and not as toxic.
I don't think animal testing should be banned. Most people do it right. It is much safer to test on animals than humans. For example, pigs are mean animals and probably get what is coming for them. Most situations are handled like they should and serve a great purpose.
I think that animal testing is okay, as long as they test it with regulations, not just for random reasons. Most medicines would not be available if animal testing was not performed. I don't think that animal testing should be banned because of what I mentioned before.
I think animal testing is wrong. I remeber watching a short film last year about a rabbit named ralph and how he is a product of animal testing. I think more people should watch that video and see the true reality of animal testing. I cried after watching it.
I haven't heard about that video yet but I can totally understand that it made you cry. The conditions the animals have to live under are just so cruel.
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