Animal Testing

malkie76

They already do that - both preclinical and clinical data, for exactly the reasons you suggest.

robinsonj

This is a very difficult topic. I work in the beauty industry and write about products so have alot of experience of it.

Recently the law changed so that anything manufactured in the EU can't be tested on animals, however, if a brand sells in places such as China they have to legally test to go into that market, so buying a brand that sells there is indirectly contributing to testing.

If a brand says it's cruelty free it legally has to be, but as you say it doesn't take into account the ethics of the company that owns it. L'Oreal own ALOT of brands now including The Body Shop, so if it's a concern I would do some research, although as I say they shouldn't be testing theses days anyway.

Brands have to pay to be certified by the BUAV, so it's not a certificate that every brand can afford to have, so don't be put off if a brand doesn't have that link.

There's a shop called CutECOsmetics that has a great range of cruelty free, indie brands if you want some inspiration of some new things to try.

I also wrote this article a couple of years ago on the subject if you want to know more, I can't link to it though, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have too.

lisyloo

Basic point but isn't there a difference between the necessity for lifesaving drugs and the necessaity for makeup or new shower gels?

wallbash

lisyloo wrote: »

Basic point but isn't there a difference between the necessity for lifesaving drugs and the necessaity for makeup or new shower gels?

Of course there is.
I am proud to say I have actually used animals in ways that some people strongly disapprove of. :eek::eek: I have the blood!! of thousands of animals , everything from a mouse via a Guinia pig / goat to a horse.
But I was licensed.

What did I do ?? Manufacture ( and therefore testing) of various Vaccines /Anti Toxins .
Tetanus /Diphtheria/Whooping cough, small amount of Botulism and even Rabies.

The cost of keeping and breeding animals for research was and still is immense.If there were cheaper and also as reliable way to do with out animals, economics would prevail.

Ps I sleep well .

Enterprise_1701C

What I want to know is if the OP is willing to volunteer herself to test the new drugs we need? If she and other individuals of her ilk volunteered to do so then we would eradicate the need to use animals for at least a week.

I for one am tired of the people that seem to think animals are more important than people. We were put here at the top of the food chain for a reason, and we were given the abilities needed to be able to continue to live at the top of the food chain, that includes the ability to develop medicines to defeat some horrible diseases that have appeared in the past such as smallpox and leprosy. Would the OP really rather be facing such diseases?

And please don't say you avoid vaccinations because of your ideals, because if you do then you leave other people open to the diseases you may catch because of that. Babies die from measles because people have decided they do not want their kids to have the vaccination and those kids catch measles and pass it on to babies too young to have the vaccine.

Obviously non-vital things such as makeup and bath stuff should not be tested on animals, but medicines remain essential to everyday life and still need to be tested on animals.

bluelass

welshbookworm wrote: »

Having been on 4 different epilepsy medications on the last 4 months and had to come off 2 of them because the side effects were worse than the epilepsy (12 hours of tremors a day with one medication!) I appreciate how very subtle differences can have a huge difference. Even so, if companies could work together share their results, there would be less animals used and better medications would be available quicker.

I take levetiracetam oral solution (im terrible with swallowing tablets). The keppra tablets made me get terrible headaches and severe PMT so my neurologist recommended the liquid version which is better for me. A friend takes lamotrigine which are chewable tablets but one of the biggest side effects can be severe depression so I decided it wasn't for me.

welshbookworm

Lamotrigine gave me slight tremors, so I was changed to Keppra. Keppra gave me severe tremors, bad enough for people to ask me if I had Parkinsons or was an alcoholic! It took over a week from stopping the Keppra for the tremors to stop!
Am now on Clobazam and Carbazam which seem to be working better, but am still building up the dosage, hopefully they will work better!

Johnnytwostep

bluelass wrote: »

I will not buy anything that has been tested on animals its cruel and wrong on all levels. I have just binned a bottle of Vanderbilt perfume because BUAV say its manufactured by L'Oreal who still conduct animal testing. What do others on here think about lab testing?.

they should test everything on animals, I will not buy a product that has not been tested on animals.