Animal Experimentation Essay, Research Paper
Abstract
Animal experimentation has been going on for a while now and people have been protesting against it since it has begun. It seems now days there are more cons for animal experiments because of how it has become a popular topic to this day. The pros seem to think that animal experiments are necessary for living a healthy life. With all of the debating going on, animal experimentation may be halted.
Animal Experimentation
Should animal experimentation be regulated? Do animals have the same rights we do? These are questions that are of much debate. Animals are used in experiments all of the time, whether they are testing a new drug, or testing their reactions to a new fabric softener. But is this morally O.K.? First of all, billions of dollars of taxpayer money is spent on animal experimentation annually. Money is given to big name corporations and the military. It is used for wound testing, radiation testing, and other chemicals of war. Agricultural experiments include finding ways to ?improve? farm animals. Private companies also invest in the vivisection industry. These experiments are actually more expensive than experiments on human subjects (Internet 3). Animals are not humans, obviously, but we test drugs that are meant to be used on humans all of the time. It is good that we don?t have to make humans suffer, but just because something works on, or doesn?t effect an animal, doesn?t mean it will do the same on a human. For instance, the drugs thalidomide, Zomax, and DES were all tested on animals and thought of as safe, but they had devastating effects on humans (Internet 3).Many of the protests now days for animals are to give them rights against experimentation. The company that people protest against most is the Procter and Gamble pharmaceutical. They do a various number of tests, and one of the most common is the draze test. In the draze test the animals get multiple soaps and detergents placed and dropped into their eyes to test if the soap will be safe for at home usage.Usually what happens is if the soap is not safe to eyes then it may cause serious damage to
References
1. Fox, Michael W. (1980). Returning to Eden: Animal Rights and Human Responsibility New York: The Viking Press2. Morris, Richard K. & Fox, Michael W. (1978) On the Fifth Day: Animal Rights & Human Ethics Washington D.C.: Acropolis Books3. PETA online www.peta.com4. The Sad Faces of Vivisection in America http://members.tripod.com/~duwonnie/