Animal Testing

Animal Testing

Introduction

Animal testing or experimentation on animals is carried out to know the effects or side effects of substances in living organism. The researchers justify the animal testing by giving the reason that animals possess more sensitivity in changing conditions to the environment and habitat, and this factor of sensitivity facilitates researcher in obtain precise results while researching for medicines and antibiotics. But, I do not support the idea of animal testing and I am going to provide my argument against animal testing in this paper. I will provide my discussion against animal testing with supportive researches and failures of animal testing in the past and risk pertaining to animal testing in the laboratories. In the end I will identify alternatives to animal testing that can be used and more effective in clinical research than animal testing.

Discussion

Millions of animals are locked inside the cages in laboratories in languishing pain with loneliness across the country. Animals sit helpless and wait for their turn for painful procedure. Every year more than 100 million animals suffer and die with cruelty in medical experiments of cosmetics, drugs, medical lessons, and medical experiments (Peta, 2013). Every year several animals are killed, poisoned and blinded by cruel corporations for the testing of cosmetic products, household and other products. The government and other charity institutes waste our valuable money from donors and taxpayers on animal experiments and testing at universities and laboratories rather than spending our money on clinical and epidemiological studies that are significant for humans in actuality.

Historical failure in animal testing

Supporters of animal experimentation claim that it is has played vital role in medical advancement in finding cure to various diseases (Loeb et al., 1989). Although, many medical analysts argue that animal experimentation is not the reason for the cure of many diseases, in fact several key discoveries have been achieved by observation, human autopsy and clinical research in the areas such as psychiatry, cancer, anesthesia and immunology (Reines, 1991). For instance, it was indicated by the human clinical investigation that cancer is caused by asbestos, and it was found out in early 1940s. However, it was continuously failed to demonstrate by the animal studies (Enterline, 1988). Another historical example is that when studies from human population has showed that a clear risk is present from the exposure to low-level ionizing radiation from diagnostic X-rays and nuclear wastes, but animal studies have showed contradict results from human population (Anderegg et al., 2006).

The Medical Research Modernization Committee has reviewed random animal models and identified that it has not contributed any important information to human health. It was also found that the effectiveness of treatment on the animals has no worth or possesses extreme side effects on human health (Kaufman et al., 1989).

Animal testing as a Global Problem

Animal testing is a global issue where research laboratories, medical institutions, industries, etc use 115 million animals all over the world. The United Kingdom is considered to be the one of the largest countries that uses animals ...