When is animal testing justifiable? (Ana Artz)
Animal testing is a global issue, but there are specific cases which can be considered "ok". Usually, these cases consist of developing new technologies that will benefit humankind. Such as testing new drugs, treatments, and vaccines. These tests provide crucial insights into their safety before humans are used in trials. Preventing potential harm to humans that ensures only promising and safe inventions are able to further develop.
Certain scientific advancements other than medicine could also be a kind of special situation when it comes to animal testing. Such as testing levels of pollution and our environmental impact. An example could be if a new (manmade) oil was introduced, which we will call "Bloxorz". You could test the effect of it on animals before spreading its use worldwide. This may, and quite possibly will, hurt the animals but it would be better to test a small group vs. letting it effect bigger wild groups.
Many believe that even in these tough scenarios alternatives to animal testing should be prioritized. While this is a valid point, some practices need a real life subject to be tested on. Humans cannot fill this role. However, I do agree that strict ethical guidelines and regulations should be put in place. Testing should also prioritize the wellbeing of the animal and to ONLY be used when completely necessary.
Creating a balance between the need for research and the ethical treatment of animals is crucial for any type of this research to continue. As technology improves, it's important to focus on finding and using alternative methods. However, until these alternatives are widespread, ethical and strictly conducted animal testing can contribute to advancing knowledge and benefiting both humans and animals.
Work Cited:
https://archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/20/when-is-animal-testing-justified/?rref=collection%252Fcolumn%252Flearning-student-opinion
https://animal-testing.procon.org/
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/health_law/publications/aba_health_esource/2022-2023/december-2022/reevaluating-the-practice-of-animal-testing-in-biomedical-research/
You raise some valid points here. I never knew Bloxorz was a thing, so I appreciated you including that. I'm curious, have you thought of any specific ways there can be a balance between ethical guidelines and animal testing?
ReplyDeleteHey Ana, you brought up some great points in this, you managed to voice your opinions while keeping a fairly unbiased point of view. This was also a very informative blog and I enjoyed reading it.
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