Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The Ethics Of Animal Testing

As we discover treatments for diseases such as rabies, feline leukemia, tetanus, anthrax, and much more, animals also bear the advantage of protection. In fact, humans share hundreds of diseases with animals. We also share similar organs allowing scientists to use animals as an essential model for the study of illnesses. Therefore, the work researchers perform sets a platform for an end result where both parties benefit. It can thus be concluded that those against animal research are covered by a counterintuitive notion because, without animal research, the animals whom they are fighting for would die due to a potentially curable disease. To deal with the ethical dilemma of animal research, countries like the United Kingdom have placed regulations that require the research scientists to show how and if they have considered alternative ways before they are given a license to continue with their research projects. Given these circumstances, we can conclude that the rise in animals used in research must mean that in the near future there may be major medical

This helps to ensure the results are as reliable as possible and allows progress in many fields of science it is important that everyone follows these regulations in order to maintain a high quality of research. Animal research has led to much advancement in scientific research and even continues to help the animals themselves, as our knowledge increases we need to use fewer animals to get the same results and in some cases have even been able to replace animals with non-sentient alternatives (House of Lords, 2002). I believe the procedures and policies in place do a good job of limiting animals in research to the minimum needed and do as much as is possible to ensure animals are treated as well as possible with as little pain, suffering or stress caused as is practicable (Bennett,

Animal Experimentation has been dated as far back as to the Early Greek Era. This practice has been viewed as ethical by research scientists trying to find new medical breakthroughs. Yet, in recent years, the use of animals in research and experimentation has been frowned upon by animal protection groups and animal rights activists. Animals are protected by certain guidelines and ethics prior to their use in research. Contrary to popular belief, animal experimentation should be viewed on a positive note, due to the fact that it can benefit human life, reduce adverse effects on humans, and the cost is cheaper and easier.

In history, animal experimentation has played a significant important role in leading to new discoveries and human benefit. However, what many people tend to forget are the numbers of animal subjects that have suffered serious harm during the process of experimentation. Each day across America innocent animals are used as test subjects for products that have little to no relevance importance. Animal testing has had many negative issues arise in society in a negative way. Debating over the animal rights movement has raised many questions and concerns for years. There is an ongoing controversy regarding if companies should stop testing their products on animals. Although animal research has been the cause of many medical breakthroughs, is it morally and ethically right to put animals in these kinds of situations? This is one of the underlying questions that must be solved before it is too late. When considering how truly reliable the results of animal test are, and the expense of testing will help bring new light to the problem. By simply passing a policy will not only address this issue, will help better products and medicine in the future.

Curious minds since the beginning of time have used animals to explore deeper into the realms of science, whether behavioral or biomedical. Despite many medical advances since, people have developed a division between what they feel is beneficial or not to the modernizing world as to whether animal cruelty is acceptable and humane or not. Animal testing is research science, typically regarding chemical exposures, drug overdoses, genetic manipulation, and surgical procedures that result in prolonged suffering and eventual death. According to Bernard E. Rollin’s journal entry from the Hastings Center Report, The Moral Status of Invasive Animal Research, “Science is ‘value free’ in general and ‘ethics free’ in particular” which indicates scientists are not concerned with the ethical matters but more so the results.

Over the last couple hundred years, our world has expanded beyond its horizons and the new equipment and advanced technology has allowed humans to succeed in many areas, but has also damaged the basic ethics and morals in some of us. Today on television, we see the over dramatized body spray commercials or a famous celebrity advertising their favorite shampoo and stating its claims, but what most do not know is that a couple or couple hundred, animals were killed to approve, by law, of that product. This act is called animal testing, which is the method or experiment that forces an animal to go through any harm or distress (Thew). I do not agree with this practice simply because it harms innocent animals for products that we do not need

Animal research has led to numerous improvements for the quality of life in humans and other animals. The humane treatment of animals requires that if there is an alternative way of getting the same results, without using animals, then that should be done. Reducing the number of animals used for research would result in an increase in humans being used for research; therefore, it is not reasonable to decrease the number of test animals. Humans cannot justify an objection to killing an animal involved in a biomedical investigation if they are willing to eat animals. The killing of an animal to meet the needs of human beings is judged as reasonable by most people. The enormous amount of benefits to human beings has made biomedical experimentation on animals justifiable. Non-human animals have non-negligible moral worth. Causing and animal to go through excruciating pain to bring a tinge of pleasure to a human is wrong. Believing there is a moral difference between evil we do and evil we do not prevent must be rejected to make the researchers’ calculations implausible. It is believed that perpetrating and evil is worse than permitting an

Animal testing is the use of animals in research experiments. The research is usually conducted inside universities, pharmaceutical companies, and commercial facilities. It includes research over genetics, behavioral studies, drugs, toxicology, and cosmetics. Those who are against animal testing state that even though humans benefit from animal testing it does not equalize the harm that the animals endure. On the other hand though, the people who support animal testing believe that the experiments are necessary to further our knowledge in the medical and biological fields. The source of lab animals can vary throughout the world, but some of the most popular ways are through animals being purposely bred for testing as well as being supplied

Animal testing has been dated back to the BC ages. According to Hajar, experiments were performed on live animals by well-known ancient greek scientists such as Aristotle and Erasistratus. Animals became test subjects throughout many experiments in order to thoroughly comprehend pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and especially anatomy. However more recently animal testing has become a main source of testing for biomedical research and testing of pharmaceutical drugs. As animal testing has become a more common method, laws have been put in place in efforts to make it a more humane practice. In 1938, due to the release of a pharmaceutical drug that became poison to humans, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was put in place. The act

There are many debates about whether or not animals such as mice and rats should be experimented on. The organization Psychologist for the Ethical Treatment of Animals believes in observing animals instead of experimenting on them (Meyer). Another known organization is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). An organization that is in favor of animal experimentation is called Pro-Test and is located in the United Kingdom (UK). This organization thinks that experimenting on animals may help humans. About 95% of animals are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act like reptiles, birds and mice (“Animal Testing”). Experimentation on animals should not be permitted in any country, including the United States, because it is cruel and inhumane, because we have developed new technology that can replace these experiments, and because sometimes the results that are found are not directly relevant to humans.

Over the last several decades, scientific experimentation with animals has played an important role in developing new medical health breakthroughs for humans. Without the use of animals for research experiments, new vaccines, better surgical techniques, and cures for diseases such as cancer, would not have been developed. There are oppositions to using animals for experimentation.

Dating back to 2,500 years ago, animals have been used for research worldwide (“Should Animals Be Used”). Many of the first accounts of animal testing have been found in Greek writings (“Should Animals Be Used”). Today, the ethicality of these experiments is continually debated. Every year in the United States, approximately twenty six million animals are used for research (“Should Animals Be Used”). These tests are used to expand the knowledge of medical treatments, such as a drug’s toxicity and safety (“Should Animals Be Used”). Due to the multiple immoral practices, the world should eliminate the use of animals for research because animal testing is inhumane, there are new alternative procedures that can be utilized, and the animal

“With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one” (William of Ockham). Animals generally are used to be tested on by researchers for a various amount of reasons. Researchers and scientists worldwide, are determined to find solutions to finding cures to diseases, and any other consumer products that include cosmetic products, that humans use. The term FDA (Food Drug Administration) was created in the year of 1906, by Theodore Roosevelt and Harvey Washington Wiley. This act was made to ensure that all consumer products are to be approved and protected by the public health before the products are released to be used by people. Animals are tested on by researchers before all consumer products are released

For centuries, the ethics of animal experimentation in the biomedical field have been questioned. Do the benefits of animals used in research outweigh the pain the animals endure? Animal rights activists will argue there are new alternatives that there are more accurate than animal testing. The success of trials on animals, has led to the continued use by scientists within the medical field. Additionally, testing on animals instead of humans puts humans out of harms way. The first Animal Cruelty Act was created in 1835 to regulate the use of animals for scientific purposes. According to Franco (2013), the “Enactment of the 1986 Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, remains the only known legislation to regulate animal experiments for nearly 50 years.” Even so, there will continue to be two sides of animal research, one side believes, without animal research there would not be the medical advancements present to this day. On the other hand, the use of animal research is unethical and the finding of new alternatives may also be even more beneficial than animal testing. Therefore, the medical field should either seek alternatives to animal research or the methods are refined to reduce the unethical treatment towards the animals as subjects.

“Scientists told to stop wasting animal lives,” this is an article from The Guardian, written by Robin McKie. It addresses the issues about using animals to test products for us to use such as, medicines to try help treat serious illnesses and also for veterinary purposes. Animal testing is carried out by scientists to also test items we use daily such as makeup but this article is not talking about those particular issues. This article is discussing about undergoing new guidelines for those that are carrying out research using animals. The Research Council UK say they are now making scientists show their work will not only produce physiological understanding but will also generate statistically sturdy data. If not they will end up losing their funding.