Sather Health is a student health website that aims to deliver trusted health information to students and their communities. So, to see if a treatment works, a disease or injury must be created in animals. At the conclusion of most experiments, the subjectsmillions of them per year . While much scientific research cannot be adequately done without animals, commercial safety testing, such as by cosmetics companies, is increasingly being done without the use of animals. In fact, many medicines that have been successfully tested on animals have failed to deliver proper results for humans. Yet around the world, millions of animals continue to be used in experiments and then killed. With the existence of such options, shouldnt we abandon animal testing for good? A reason for this, other than genetic makeup, is that the animals are kept in an unnatural environment (the laboratory) that places them under stress, which may alter their response. It has provided in saving the lives of people. Animal Testing | Pros & Cons | ProCon.org Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Well, they test the product on animals to ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises for customers. Therefore, if we do not want to be the guinea pig, animal testing might be the only other valid way to go in order to get proper medical research findings. Do you think animal testing is ever justified? Animal testing should not be banned | by alison ning - Medium Animal experiments last a long time too, which adds to the overall cost. Any discussion of animal testing pros and cons must acknowledge that certain kinds of animal research involve subjecting creatures to what can aptly be described as torture. Those trials are often carried out with the help of animal testing in the early stages in order to avoid potential dangers for human health. When you think about the financial burden countries have to bear, it becomes questionable whether animal testing really provides enough benefits. It was already banned in the UK, but it still does occur in other countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_testing, https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/why-we-do-it/what-animal-testing, https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/. A decade of studies shows that most animal experimentation never leads to benefits for humans. One of the main advantages for animal testing is advancements in medical research. It has even brought certain species from the brink of extinction. Researchers often come to several different conclusions regarding the safety and the effectiveness of certain drugs on humans and therefore, the results from animal experiments should be taken with great care in order to avoid serious health issues for humans. It would be wrong to test a drug of unknown effect on humans, which is why we test on animals first. Animal testing refers to the practice of performing unnatural and often painful experiments on animals held captive in stressful laboratory settings, often in the misguided belief that the results of the tests will be applicable to humans. Some people also claim that animal testing will not be justifiable since there are certain regulations in place that aim to protect the rights of animals on a global scale. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'environmental_conscience_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_15',195,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0'); It had been quite helpful over the course of human history to find certain medicines to treat serious diseases in the past and will also be helpful to treat potentially serious diseases in the future. Hence, animal testing can be quite beneficial to cure and to eradicate diseases. Animal testing is one of the most controversial aspects of modern-day science. As you can see, animal testing pros and cons are heavily debatable depending on the side youre on. Animal testing has been a staple of research and studies for a long time. Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash. Find all our Student Opinion questions here. Further, new medicines can help animals too, since breakthroughs in veterinary medicine have also occurred due to animal experimentation. Text LASH to 73822 to urge OpulenceMD Beauty to stop selling cruel fur lashes! In fact, in the majority of cases, the findings from animal testing will be rather useless for the application of drugs for humans. Each side of the debate has its points. Moreover, some viruses also mutate over time and may change their characteristics. Before products are approved for the mass market, plenty of research and testing has to be done in order to ensure the safety of products. The agency said it would also invest $4.25 million in projects at four universities and a medical center that are developing alternate ways of testing chemicals that do not involve animals. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? - The New York Times The previous analysis has shown that are several advantages related to animal testing. Due to strict regulations, animal testing may also not be a viable option in some countries all over the world. If you are looking for more ways to live an eco-conscious lifestyles, then check out our complete guide here. It has now become easier for scientists to examine the complete lifecycle quickly. Animals can include everything from mice and rats to monkeys and dogs. Animal testing has its pros and cons but ultimately is unnecessary now. Opines that pharmaceuticals should be tested on animals as alternative methods don't allow for testing of effects across a whole organism. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-3','ezslot_11',193,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-leader-3-0'); This may give us an edge and we may find suitable treatment faster. Many people cant deal with the fact that animals are intentionally poisoned or even have to die solely for the small chance of finding some medical treatments for us humans. In other experiments, animals are injected with lethal doses of certain chemicals to determine how much can kill them. Wanna make a contribution to save our environment? This is why such animals get affected by the same diseases and health conditions as us. Most research projects are unregulated by the government. Best Supplement for Joint Pain for Inflammation: Transparent Labs Curcumin C3 Complex. Theres been a lot of positive action among other federal agencies, but we want to see all government agencies take this step.. Founded and managed by UC Berkeley students, we are an ASUC-sponsored student organization and a student-run DeCal course. Before medical products are approved for the mass market, plenty of research and testing must be done to ensure theyre safe for use. Although testing on animals are the best alternative to actual humans, there is still an important margin of error, and some people still believe animal testing to be unreliable. Why Animal Testing Should Be Banned: Key Cons Inhumane Treatment in Animal Experimentation Any conversation about animal analysis's pros and cons ought to admit that creature research topics involve subjecting animals to what could aptly be called torture. Says It Will Drastically Reduce Animal Testing, Mihir Zaveri, Mariel Padilla and Jaclyn Peiser write about the decision: The E.P.A. Are There Any Benefits to Animal Testing? Get the Facts | PETA Since animals cannot volunteer themselves for testing and cannot voice their opinions, some people believe that it is only ethical to test on subjects who willingly give their consent for self testing. Consequently, in order to protect those people from serious health problems, animal research can play a significant role since it may help to find certain treatments that are able to avoid the spread of diseases across country borders and in turn to save millions of lives. The only other valid method would be to test drugs in early research stages on us humans. But animals suffer and die every day in laboratories with little or no protection from cruelty. Sometimes, theyre subjected to painful procedures that inflict them with burns, wounds, and pain to test. Many research findings related to animal testing are often also quite ambiguous. For these reasons, scientists can confidently apply the results of a panoply of medical experiments on animals to human beings and be more confident when it's time to experiment on humans directly in clinical trials. Animal testing is necessary for medical development. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/learning/is-animal-testing-ever-justified.html. None of the thousands of experiments conducted on animals every year at universities are required by law. Animals used for such safety testing are usually not killed and remain relatively healthy. Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mail unless you explicitly opt out by clicking, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Now animal activists are campaigning to end the use of animals in laboratories. [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] 2. Animal testing requires plenty of workforce and expensive equipment, leading to spending billions of dollars each year in this field. Advances in breast cancer, brain trauma, leukemia, cystic fibrosis, malaria, multiple sclerosis and tuberculosis are directly attributable to animal experimentation, and without testing on chimpanzees, there would be no hepatitis B vaccine. This popularity is bound to grow as time goes on. There are many opinions about the pros and cons of using animals in scientific research. What Is Animal Testing? Facts and Humane Alternatives | PETA In short, they are their own people and they dont consent to being tortured and killed in laboratories. Many of the most important medical advances are attributable to human studies. [ 120] One of the main advantages for animal testing is advancements in medical research 2. In some cases, many of the substances tested may never even see approval of public consumption and use; thus, these animals may have undergone such treatment in vain, seeing that no direct benefit to humans occurred. For this reason, researchers feel they had no choice but to use animals to better understand the human body and create practical products. Therefore, also from a cost aspect, it may be questionable whether animal testing provides enough benefits to justify those enormous financial efforts.