Essay on animal testing: It is ethical?
Extensive research work is going on across the world. The modern era of medicines has reached the pinnacle. Various life threatening diseases have been successfully eradicated and continuous advancements are made on daily basis. But in this whole process, one thing remains obscured or goes unnoticed, is the plight of the animals that are used for such experimentations. According to modern laws, it is compulsory to maintain the set standards of the introduced product in the market. To meet these guidelines pharmaceutical companies and other cosmetic product manufacturers and similar other health care establishments test these products on animals. There efficacy and safety levels are checked on animals and then inferences are made. Animal bodies are also used in various schools and educational institutions for dissection purposes.
Animal testing had existed since ages. Animals mainly, cats, dogs, monkeys, rats, rabbits, pigs etc are extensively used in undertaking such experiments. They are exposed to the chemical treatment time and again. Some medications are rubbed over the skin surface, while some chemicals are administered via mouth or via blood stream. The animals that are used for such experimental purposes are euthanized after the completion of the experiment, by the laboratory authorities. This whole act of testing animals creates a very inhumane side of the species ‘homosapiens’.
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These animals are weak and unable to oppose or even resist such experimentation processes. They are kept in compromised laboratory conditions. Sometimes, severe adverse effects are seen in animals, e.g. cats are most commonly used for neurological based experimentations. While testing morphine on cats, they go crazy and show hyperactive behavioural actions. Certain animals may lose consciousness, some of them start revolving in circles while some abandon eating and sleeping. These are some of the commonly seen reactions. It is estimated that roughly 500 million animals die in the process of testing every year, around the world. Such experiments are mostly outdated and do not exhibit the correct result of the experiment. The other factor is that it is not necessary that humans would also respond in a similar way as the animals do while getting exposed to certain chemical.
The regulatory body does state that utmost care and best facilities should be given to the testing animals. Special care should be taken while testing so that the least number or animals are affected by such experimentation process. There are various agencies like PETA and PFA that oppose such kinds of testing experiments on animals. They call it as a cruelty to the mute living beings and ask for effective banning of such acts.
However, there is another side of the coin. Several diseases have been effectively eradicated in the present world. This was made possible with the invention of new vaccinations. These vaccines are tested over animals for years, before they are introduced for human consumption. Similarly advancements in organ transplantation from other species to human beings had been possible only due to such experimentations. There are various other beneficiary areas like genetics research, toxicology testing, biomedical research, behavioural studies etc.
There would have been no advancements or very little improvement in the health scenario and medical world if testing on animals was not carried out. But during the whole process sanctity of life must be maintained. Proper regulations should be made and they should be strictly implemented. Measures should be taken and sensible efforts should be made by the experimenter so that the least number of animals have to undergo such experimental process.