Should animal testing be banned ? > Reviews (10)

Animal testing is a typical debate in society, do we have the right to use animals that other people may have as household pets and potentially cause them harm? Do the benefits received by testing on animals outweigh the harm caused to them? Is there a better solution for laboratory testing? Do animals have equal rights as humans? We must consider all these questions to choose what we believe is right or wrong and if it be wrong, should it be banned?

Firstly, what is animal testing? Well, it is the use of animals in laboratories (mainly rats), testing drugs and products such as makeup on them, before testing on humans. Although animals are not exactly the same as humans, they can be quite closely related or have a similar genetic structure to humans. Before any product is launched into the market, it must go through several trials and animal testing is an important part of this process. If there are potentially harmful effects on animals then the researchers will know that the product is not suitable as it currently is for use on humans, it must first pass the animal trials meaning that animals can potentially come to harm. The drawback being that animals cannot obviously choose to participate as humans can but does that mean that many ethical issues do not apply to animals as well as humans?

So how does animal testing beneift us, the wider society? Well, by initially testing products on animals instead of humans it means that any human participants in the human trials have less risk of being harmed. It also means that researchers can be more sure that the product is safe to be used by the public as all aspects have been tested, although this does not guarantee that there will be no side effects/ problems caused by the product at all, as we have seen in product recalls but it does provide a higher reassurance for us. It is even more important in medical research as the drugs must be produced that help society, people who need new medications to live better lives.

As for the drawbacks, many innocent animals are being harmed and put in cages just so that we can use products more safely, they do not receive the love that many other animals receive in our homes or zoos or even in the wild, if we were to be put into that position, ethical guidelines would by far stop the situation but for animals these rules are different which leads to animals being harmed. However, if these animals were not harmed, then humans could be harmed instead.

Overall, it is horrible how these animals are tested on, potentially harmed and unloved but this is necessary so that humans are not harmed instead. It is essential for the medications that help people who suffer from illnesses and help them live their lives. Furthermore, at the present time there does not appear to be a better solution that could provide as accurate results as animal testing can but perhaps animals should be treated better in laboratories with love and not in cages, they could have a home with someone and before the products are tested on them, the company developing them could try to ensure there are no harmful chemicals or materials in them as close as they can. So it should not be banned but have improved conditions for animals as it continues to help people.