• Question: Do you think testing drugs on animals is right or should it be stopped?

    Asked by flozz12 to Laura, Nicola, Norman, Sandra, Thanasis on 11 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Nicola Wardrop

      Nicola Wardrop answered on 11 Mar 2013:

      I think in some cases it is right, as there may not be any other way to test the drugs. There are so many diseases which kill people, or disable them so they can no longer work, and we don’t have good medicines to treat them. We need to do everything we can to develop new drugs for these diseases. However, I do think that we should also be looking to find alternative ways to test drugs, and I know that a lot of research is now looking into this, so perhaps in the future we will be able to stop testing on animals.

    • Photo: Laura Soul

      Laura Soul answered on 11 Mar 2013:

      That’s a really difficult question, and I can see that there are strong arguments from both sides of the debate. There are some really terrible diseases that humans get and the only way that we can currently develop any new drugs to help people is by animal testing – there is no alternative. However in the past some animal testing has been very cruel and inhumane and I don’t think that is right. Now animal testing is very strictly regulated and much less cruel, but I still think that the ideal situation will be when scientists develop new ways to test drugs without having to use animals.

    • Photo: Norman Lazarus

      Norman Lazarus answered on 11 Mar 2013:

      There is no correct answer to this question. There is no question that animals should not be used for trivial testing eg cosmetics. Animals should also not be cruelly treated to provide food.
      I suppose we could begin asking: has animal testing provided any benefits to humans. The answer. Yes Loads eg discover of insulin, discover of vitamins, discovery of growth hormone and many others.
      We can then ask the next question: has animal testing been of any benefit to animals. Again yes, because all these discoveries are used on our pets and other animals to keep them alive if they are ill.
      The next question: Have we the right to cause pain in animals while making these discoveries? My answer to that is no! So I now ask you – how far would you be prepared to go in order to find a cure for an animal disease and secondly how far would you be prepared to go in order to find a cure for a human disease? In the end it will be your opinion and your friends’ opinion that will decide the issue.

    • Photo: Sandra Phinbow

      Sandra Phinbow answered on 11 Mar 2013:

      It is a really difficult question to answer without upsetting someone!

      I think, when my children are really poorly and need medicine, or they are having a vaccination…I need to know it will work and will not harm them. I want to know it’s been tested and is safe.

      There are diseases that are seriously nasty and kill people every day, we need to find a way to prevent or treat these diseases. If the only way to do this is on an animal, and there is no other way known yet, then I think it’s a good idea.

      For example, malignant melanoma is a particularly horrifc and nasty skin cancer than kills many people every year, but new cures are being found using zebra fish. I don’t think this is a bad thing.

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