The Lesser-Known Horrors - Animal Testing
Every year, over a hundred million animals die due to animal testing. Though seemingly unrelated, around sixty-five percent of Americans wear makeup and there are at least seventy-three cosmetic brands in the US. It’s sad to say that only around thirty percent are cruelty-free, meaning that the products aren’t tested on animals. Animal testing isn’t justified since it is dangerous for animals, unnecessary, and outdated.
Animal testing has hazardous effects, such as brain-damage on animals, and is a way for scientists and cosmetic companies to determine how well a drug or product works and its side effects. Calvin Klein is an example of a cosmetic company that tests its products, mainly fragrances, on animals. The two main tests are the Draize Eye/Skin test and the Toxicity test. The Draize Eye/Skin test consists of restraining and dripping chemicals onto a rabbit’s skin and their eyes. The animals are left without painkillers and the damage is then observed. Toxicity test is when the animal (usually a rodent) is force-fed large doses of chemicals. The harm and suffering these animals are enduring isn’t minimized because they aren’t human. They are tortured to an extent where they shudder with fear every time they see or hear someone come by. They have their spines crushed, chemicals force-fed to them, skulls cut open, and so much more. And for what? A new kind of mascara or drug that most likely will fail? If one wouldn’t wish it upon a human, then why would they wish it upon an animal?
Calvin Klein is one of the many companies testing their products on animals
“Ninety-two percent of drugs that worked in animals failed in human trials,” says Robin Lovell-Badge, a famous British scientist (qtd. in Speaking of Research). The drugs had either done nothing, potentially harmed the person, or killed them. And in some cases, even though we already know how bad it is for us, we still experiment on animals just to see the side effects. For example, we already know that nicotine is bad for humans, so why do they still force monkeys to smoke? It is unnecessary and immoral.
People say animal testing is necessary to develop cures for diseases and safer beauty products, however, this method is outdated. There are other, more ethical ways to ensure a drug or product is safe without harming an animal. Vitro testing, for example, is experimenting on biological properties in test tubes instead of on humans or animals. Vitro testing is more effective than animal testing because animals don’t have the same body systems as humans. In vitro testing, scientists use actual human cells in their experiments which increases their chance of success. Besides, vitro testing is way cheaper than animal testing, thus saving money and being ethical at the same time.
SOURCES:
Akhtar, Aysha. “The Flaws and Human Harms of Animal Experimentation.” Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics: CQ: the International Journal of Healthcare Ethics Committees, Cambridge University Press, Oct. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594046/.
“Alternatives to Animal Testing.” PETA, 17 Apr. 2019, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/alternatives-animal-testing/.
Carter, Caroline. “How Are Perfumes Tested on Animals?” Our Everyday Life, 10 Jan. 2019, oureverydaylife.com/how-are-perfumes-tested-on-animals-12258459.html
“Classes Cancelled.” Save the Animals: Stop Animal Testing, www.lonestar.edu/stopanimaltesting.htm.
“Cosmetics Testing FAQ.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/cosmetics-testing-faq#required.
“Costs of Animal and Non-Animal Testing.” Humane Society International, 2 Apr. 2019, www.hsi.org/news-media/time_and_cost/.
“Cruelty to Animals in Laboratories.” PETA, 8 Aug. 2017, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-laboratories/.
Editor. “92% Of Statistics Are Taken out of Context...” Speaking of Research, 3 Sept. 2014, www.speakingofresearch.com/2008/07/25/92-of-statistics-are-taken-out-of-context/.
“Experiments on Animals: Overview.” PETA, 5 Apr. 2019, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/.
In Vitro Testing |, sites.psu.edu/stopanimaltestingenglish15/in-vitro-testing/.
“List of Beauty Brands That Test on Animals (2018).” Ethical Elephant, ethicalelephant.com/brands-that-test-on-animals/.
“Product Testing: Toxic and Tragic.” PETA, 31 July 2017, www.peta.org/issues/animal-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/product-testing-toxic-tragic/.
IMAGES:
Bill to end animal testing for cosmetics introduced in Congress with support from industry leaders [The Humane Society of the United States]
In Vitro Testing Services [Intertek]
