Should animals be used for research and testing? The use of animals for research dates back to the Romans and Greeks. “Phil for Humanity” defines animal testing or animal experimentation as “the process of using non-humans for the purpose of experimentation. For example, scientists use animal testing to determine the effectiveness and side effects of potentially new medicines to help decide if these medicines are safe for people.” Animal testing is an extremely controversial topic with many advantages and disadvantages. Reasons against animal testing include torturing animals, making animals suffer,and in some cases causing them to die. Reasons for animal testing include medical advancements, testing the safety of new products, and scientific knowledge. Although animal testing seeks advantages in human health, it is a practice of animal cruelty that should not be used.
Even though there are many medical advancements and knowledge that have and can be gained from animal testing, it is unfair to treat animals this way. In the articles “The Price of killing of Animal testing” it states that “each year, more than 25 million animals are used for scientific research in the U.S.” Animals often die in the process of testing or are killed after/ If these animals don’t die they are “subject to torture and suffering” according to “Phil for Humanity.” They are also kept in captivity the rest of their lives. Animals are also different from people. Some research has found that the accuracy of some tests are not very useful. A new medicine could be tested on an animal and not have the same reaction as a human would have. It that case the animal would die for no reason.
However, one may tend to disagree, to support one’s thinking. For example the number one reason for animal research and experimentation is medical advancement. Advancements in medicine help not only people but animals too. Many medical treatments to improve health and medicine have been found through animal testing (Phil For Humanity Phil). However Animals can give us scientific research, but however from the same source is states that “animals are different than people, thus their testing results are not useful.” Animal testing is a great source to increase scientific knowledge, but animals could die from products, medicine, and ect.
There are lots of pros and cons to animal testing. Currently there is no better alternatives to animal testing and experimentation, so it continues to happen. People might agree with animal testing because the results are helpful for scientists to discover how new medicine can people. Testing on animals has provided useful breakthroughs in medical advancements, but the millions of animals tortured and killed each year is just certainly not fair nor is it the right thing to do!
References
- National Center for Biotechnology Information – Animal Research is Essential to Drug Discovery
- Vice – How to Write the Perfect Medicare Proposal That’s Never Gonna Pass Congress (LOLOLOL)
- Center for Collaborative Fiction – Model Organisms for Drug Discovery: A Productive Path Forward or Not?
- Huntingdon – Drugs from Animals: A Poor Model
- Google Scholar – Animal Testing Controversy