• Question: Are you against animal testing or support it?? Also how long would you think for a cure for cancer to came around? if you don't know its fine :)

    Asked by Matt (Science Freak) to Daniel, Giovanna, Greg, Kelly, Lowri on 11 Mar 2016. This question was also asked by roy(science freak 2).
    • Photo: Lowri Evans

      Lowri Evans answered on 11 Mar 2016:

      Hello Matt,

      Great questions! Firstly, animal testing is something people feel really strongly about. It’s generally accepted that brutal tests on animals for non-essential products such as make-up and perfume should be outlawed, with many major cosmetics companies such as The Body Shop and Lush taking a stand against it. But what about for more serious purposes? Many medicines and life-saving surgical techniques are possible because of animal experimentation. Should we give up on research to prevent animal suffering?

      I think an important point on this (in my eyes) is that most medical researchers aren’t inhumane, evil and intentionally cruel people. They will have worked and studied for years and genuinely believe that animal testing is the best way forward. By the time they have graduated, they have become to set into their way of thinking that it would be really hard to sway them from that. Generally, they try to make conditions better for animals where they can, but sometimes they’re not allowed to change the conditions too much or it will skew the results.

      Thankfully, in my field, the British Psychological Society Code of Ethics prevents harmful testing to animals, however this is not so clear cut in medicine.

      About your cancer question, I think that Greg would be best placed to answer that one 🙂

    • Photo: Kelly Houton

      Kelly Houton answered on 14 Mar 2016:

      Hi Matt,

      I am against animal testing in most forms. I am a veggie and feel very strongly about this is Lowri says!
      In terms on testing for advanced medicines, I think it is acceptable- did you know the rabbit is most similar to us in terms of physiology and rabbits suffer from many diseases with human equivalents??
      Washing rabbits eyes with cosmetics is a wholly unacceptable practice.

    • Photo: Giovanna Tancredi

      Giovanna Tancredi answered on 14 Mar 2016:

      Hello,

      I am against animal testing for make up/perfume tests…However I do support animal testing if it can help medicine to advance in its path to cure diseases…of course animals should not suffer or being harmed.

    • Photo: Daniel Biggs

      Daniel Biggs answered on 15 Mar 2016:

      Hi Matt,
      This is a question that sparks great debate in most people as they feel strongly either for or against it. I do support it, but it has to be for medical research. The level of research at the moment is so good and so advanced that many argue we can carry out testing just in the lab on cells. But, the reality is that if we want to create and use new medicines and treatments safely on humans then we have to be sure that they are safe. I share the same views that animal testing fot the cosmetics indutry is wrong.
      Campaigners always highlight how badly animals suffer at the hands of research, but they present a very one sided view. In the world there are many laws that govern how animals are treated in a laboratory setting, and I am pleased to say that the majority of people working in animal research care about animals well being just as much as those that dont.

      I hope this helps.

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