Animal Testing: Good, Bad or Ugly?

1. Animal Testing: Good, Bad or Ugly? Yurry Buckler & Alyssa Coleman

2. Purpose of Animal Testing • To gain basic biological knowledge • Fundamental component of medical research • Aids in the discovery and development of drugs, vaccines and medical devices • To aid in the manufacturing of cosmetics

3. Arguments Against Animal Testing • It is morally wrong to kill animals for educational purposes.

4. Arguments Against Animal Testing • Animals are not an accurate model of humans • Humans anatomy differs from that of laboratory animals • Humans mature differently than laboratory animals

5. Arguments Against Animal Testing • Animal testing is barbaric • 7% of experiments are classified as causing significant pain that was not relieved. • Many of these animals receive tests for substances that will never see approval for public consumption or use…therefore many animals die in vain because no direct benefit to humans occurred.

6. Arguments Against Animal Testing • Too many animals are killed • According to PETA “more than 100 million animals every year suffer and die in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetic tests, biology lesson, medical training exercises and curiosity-driven medical experiments…” • Animal testing is expensive and public money should not be used for it • Costs include: feeding, housing, caring and treating animals sometimes over the course of months

7. Arguments in Favor Of Animal Testing • Medical professionals support animal research • 2006 survey found 96% of general practitioners surveyed agreed animal testing has made important contributions to medical advances11 • Same survey found 88% of general practitioners surveyed felt that recently developed medicines should be tested on animals before human consumption or testing

8. Arguments in Favor Of Animal Testing • Animal testing is greatly regulated • IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) supervises the scientific use of animals • Declares regulation • Accepts or denies scientific usage proposals • Inspects lab animal facilities • Strives to save animals from unnecessary testing and use, requiring quick and effective pain relief • IACUC’s regulations must be complied with for all laboratory animal use in America

9. Arguments in Favor Of Animal Testing • Animal testing is greatly regulated • Also regulating animal testing are: • The Public Health Service • Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare • The Animal Welfare Act (as amended in 1985)

10. Arguments in Favor Of Animal Testing • Animal testing has contributed to important gains in human medicine and biomedical research • Contributed to advances in psychotherapy, neuromuscular disorders, Parkinson’s disease,open heart surgery, organ transplants, effective insulin, and vaccines for deadly diseases.

11. Questions to Ponder • If Con Animal Testing • What is your proposed alternative? • Human testing? No testing? Computer simulations and models are not always accurate. • Has the medical field progressed to a point where it can stop developing medicines, medical devices and new treatments?

12. Questions to Ponder • If Pro Animal Testing • Are humans morally superior to all other beings? • Should we be able to cause pain, maim and kill other beings for the betterment of our society? • Do we have the right to end the life of animals to improve and save the lives of our own species?

13. References http://medicinalanimalexperimentationpointlesscrueltyornecessaryevil.weebly.com/pros-and-cons.html http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/using-animals-testing-pros-versus-cons.html http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/science-technology/house-would-ban-animal-testing http://levmm1.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/the-pros-and-cons/