IS IT ETHICAL TO USE ANIMALS IN TESTING?

Animal research has an important role in scientific and medical advances in the past and now also continues to help in the understanding of various diseases. In the whole world, people enjoy and live a better and improved quality of life because of the advances and rapid development of new medicines and treatments, which is made possible by animal research. But it is a topic of debate and group discussion that in many schools like girls boarding schools in Dehradun that whether it is right to use animals for testing of medicines. Animal experiments are widely used for the development of new medicines and to be able to test the safety of other products also. Many experiments conducted on animals cause pain to them and reduce their quality of life in other ways.

It is morally wrong to involve animals in the testing of any medicine for the development of it. The individuals who do it are also well aware that it is ethically wrong to do an experiment on animals. They accept the fact and acknowledge it that experiments should be as humane as possible. It’s wrong to use animals for experiments if other methods of experiments can produce valid and efficient results. Many people believe that animals are sacrificed to make products for humans safer for use and consumption, but animals safety, the quality of their life is not considered important.

AGAINST THE ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS

 Experimenting on animals for testing medicines is unacceptable due to the following reasons –

1. It causes suffering, pain to animals.
2. It does not cause any benefit to human beings as it’s not proven.
3. Animal testing is cruel and inhumane.
4. Other alternatives exist that can replace animal experiments.
5. Use of drugs is there. 
6. Most of the experiments involving animals are flawed.

IN FAVOUR OF ANIMAL EXPERIMENTING

1. It leads to life-saving treatments and cures.
2. They are important to ensure that vaccines are safe.
3. They are considered to be the right research subjects because they are similar to human beings in various ways.
4. Animal research is highly regulated with laws which protect them from mistreatment.
5. Animals often make better research subjects than human beings because of their short life span.

ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR USE OF ANIMALS IN RESEARCH AND TESTING

1. Respect for animal dignity which includes its worth, utility value.
2. Alternatives should be used more often by researchers if the same knowledge is being acquired without using laboratory animals.
3. Benefits should be kept in mind and considered more important.
4. Researchers should take the responsibility of reducing the number of animals required for experimenting for maintaining scientific quality and relevance of the results of experiments.
5. To decrease the risk of suffering and pain caused to animals while doing experiments.
6. Improvement in animal welfare.
7. The requirement of adequate knowledge and ability to take care of animals.

VARIOUS LAWS FOR PROTECTION OF ANIMALS.

• THE WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT (1972)

It includes the prohibition of any injury to wild animals which includes birds, reptiles, mammals and their young ones.

• PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACT 1960

It includes inhumane behaviour with animals by slaughtering them, providing them with inhumane living conditions.

• KILLING OF ANIMALS IS ILLEGAL

It includes wild animals, injuring and killing animals in an inhumane manner. 

• SECTION 428 OF IPC 

Killing, poisoning of animals have a punishment for two years and a fine to be paid.

• SECTION 429 OF IPC

Killing or treating animals with inhumane behaviour which includes cattle and many other animals. The punishment will be for five years and with a fine or both.

Animals should not be used for testing as they are also living beings like humans. They should be treated with care. Animal testing should be stopped and banned as it violates animal rights. It causes much pain and suffering to experimental animals. Awareness should be spread among people through campaigns, protests, social media etc. Many animals die and suffer a lot in testing and experimenting. Experimenting on animals is cruel and dangerous, ineffective. Other methods of experiments are available which should be used. Animals should be treated with respect and dignity. Right to decent treatment with animals is not upheld when they are used for human’s selfish gains.