Is animal experimentation ethical?
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Image 1: http://www.alisdatabase.org/
Animal experimentation has two sides: the proponents of vivisection (test, experiments, and "educational" exercises involving harm to animals) and the animal rights activists. In 1865, the American public was introduced to animal research as a "scientific method" of research through the book, Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine by Claude Bernard. In 1966, the government made a law entitled the Animal Welfare Act. The government was forced to propose this legislation because of the pressure they were receiving from animal-rights groups. This law gave protection to most laboratory animals except for mice and rats. It states that all experimental animals must register with the government, and all laboratories must be subject to expections. The law also states that the animals must be given pain medication if they have to undergo painful treatment. The only exception is testing on human pain where no medication would be administered. Public interest towards animal welfare began in the mid-1970's when people learned of animal experimentation procedures. One of these tests called the Draize Test was a cosmetic related experiment which put make-up, lipstick and other cosmetics into the eyes of rabbits. This negative publicity forced most cosmetic companies to label their predicts, " cruelty free." It is reported that animal experimentation has declined by about fifty percent. This fact almost gives a false impression because at least twenty million animals are still tested on each year. About ninety percent of the animals used are rats and mice. The other ten percent tested on are dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits. The last twenty years have been positive for the animal-rights movement. More people have become exposed to what happens behind laboratory doors and there are 7,000 animal-rights organizations that operate in the United States. There is also extreme measures that some groups take to express their opinions; breaking into labs releasing animals;destroying research; set fire to research laboratories; and 60 terrorist attacks by animal-rights groups have been reported since 1982.