Animal testing is a controversial topic, something which many people have strong opinions on. Animals have been used for years in medical research, cosmetic testing and other industries. As a result of animal testing, countless medicines and treatments have been discovered and are now used to cure a variety of diseases. However, harmful substances are injected into the animal and most times the animal is killed after its use. So, why are animals tortured like this?
Mice are one of the most commonly used, this is because they share 98% of the same DNA as humans, making them ideal to test new drugs. They can provide quite accurate results on the effect of that drug on humans without actually having to test on humans. They also generally have much shorter life spans, the average lifespan of a laboratory mouse is two to three years, therefore it is much easier to see the effects of a drug or treatment over a lifespan. Some people argue that at least with animal testing, something is being gained from the loss of a life, a new medicine or drug which could save so many more lives. On the other hand, many more millions of animals are killed each year for their meat, so surely we should stop that first?
However, many people think this is still not right. Animals are living things just like humans and therefore they should be treated like humans. It would never be acceptable to inject a potentially lethal substance into an innocent human so it is unethical to do the same to an animal. Harriet, an animal lover who has two cats and a budgie said, 'It's unnecessary because why should they be caused any pain or discomfort when its humans who are going to benefit from it?'
Some cosmetics companies have already took a step in the right direction. One of the most well know is LUSH. Not only do they not test on animals but they also actively campaign against it to influence other companies to do the same. On their website it says, "...Fighting Animal Testing is not just a LUSH position and policy, but a lifetime goal and the core value of our company."
How do they test their products to make sure it's safe to use? They work with a company called XCellR8 who develop cell cultures to test the products on. This allows them to check if the products are safe without putting the innocent lives of animals at risk.
Some companies have already started moving away from animal testing but it is a sad fact that millions of animals are still being used. However with science becoming more advanced, very soon there will be no need to test on animals and hopefully animal testing will be wiped out forever.
Anujah Mohanathan, Newstead Wood School
