Animal testing in laboratories to produce new drugs for the cure of human diseases is a matter of heated debate. The proponents of the ban on animal testing argue that animals are a living creature, who have emotions and feelings just like human beings, as well as right to live. Hence, cruel treatment of animals in the laboratories in the name of testing new drugs must be banned.
Well, such arguments are not strong enough to prompt authorities to consider a ban on animal testing. A significant portion of the world’s population consumes animals for food and other commercial products by killing them. If animal testing is such an objectionable thing because it is cruel, then there should be a ban on their consumption for food, leather and riding purposes as well.
But proponents of a ban on animal testing have got solid arguments to prove their point. Let’s have a look at those points.
Animal Testing is Wasteful
The advocates of animal testing argue that practice makes it possible to produce new drugs for the chronic human disease. They perceive it as means of abetting the human suffering. According to Cruelty Free International, 90% of drugs fail to deliver the result on human beings after proving successful on animals. Further, the success rate of animals testing is only 5%, with tests on dogs, rats, cats and even monkeys showing poor results. Scientists are also cloning the primates to conduct useful drug tests. Recently, China has cloned two monkeys through DNA transfer technique in a rare experiment of primates cloning.
Failed Test for Cancer Drugs
Cancer is one of the worst chronic diseases that humanity is facing. Animals testing to produce the effective drugs for cancer is common. According to reports, half of the 48 cancer drugs approved by European Medicine Agency from 2009 to 2013 showed no benefits for survival.
Here a quote by Dr. Richard Klausner, former director of National Cancer Institute needs a special mention. He said, “The history of cancer research in the mouse has been a history of curing cancer in the mouse. We have cured mice of cancer and simply didn’t work”.
Banning Unnecessary Animal Testing
Few products are no better than merely promoting the consumerism. Soaps, cosmetics, food ingredients, and preservatives are the few examples. Poor mice, rabbits, and other animals have to become deprived of their vital physical organs in the process. Animals also have to tolerate psychological torture. So, scientists should look for alternate ways of testing the products that are not essential for human beings.
(Credit – VenjomillP23)
Alternate Ways of Animal Testing
The latest simulation techniques are a blessing of the tech-powered era. Scientists can create prototypes and computer-generated models to simulate the effects of different diseases. Such tech-powered procedures are also cost-effective.
Authorities should consider a ban on animal testing as they only cause suffering by producing little to no outcome.
