Can't watch adverts now without getting annoyed! (Animal testing)

I was curious recently to know just how many companies test their products on animals. I definitely didn't expect some of the results. Most of them I already knew about, but there were some that surprised me.

Every time I see one of the companies in adverts, I just get wound up now! Just now, there was an advert for Estée Lauder and my blood started boiling.

Whenever there's a big debate somewhere about it though, there's always somebody who uses the excuse, "Would you rather them test on humans?" As if those are the only options - test on animals or test on humans.

I don't pretend for one moment that I know a great deal about animal testing.

In years gone by (and not so very many years gone by) I do think there was too much duplicated experimentation using animals - "let's see what happens if" - and the results were not shared amongst the industry so that each company did exactly the same experiments.

I honestly don't know, but I am hoping that nowadays the results of these experiments are more widely shared so that they don't have to repeated by every company in the same line (it would save money, after all!)

I do know that some drugs, at least, are tested on human volunteers, my mother's neighbour was one. They were either given the drug or a placebo, and monitored for effects. At least they were given payment and had some idea what they were letting themselves in for.

What have Estee Lauder done, Eleanor?

I'm referring to cosmetic testing. Medical testing is a lot more of a complicated debate and it's not something that usually ends well.

They denied testing on animals for ages, even stating on their products that they don't test on them, and then got caught out and still denied it. I just can't stand it when these big companies lie and decieve their way through business like that. The ones who actually admit it are just as bad though; they make out that it's the only option. If that's the case, why do huge companies such as Marks & Spencer, Superdrug and The Co-Op manage to thrive without animal testing?

And you're right - there are people who volunteer for testing. They have the choice to do it, whereas animals don't. Humans can tell the people conducting the experiments if they are in discomfort; animals can't, so experimenters wait until the reaction has become severe enough to 'accurately document' before they jot down notes on their little clipboards.

Cosmetic testing is entirely unnecessary. For a start, it isn't even an accurate test. The results cannot be directly applied to human cases, no matter how many tests are done.

Also, any tests conducted on these animals can just as easily (if not more easily) be done on cell cultures, allowing more manipulation of variables, minus the suffering. Computerised testing is also available now, so these companies claiming that they have no choice are lying through their teeth.

It's the type of testing as well. Why is it necessary to test women's sanitary products on animals? Or batteries? Or nappies/diapers?

 It makes me so angry!

Not having a go at anybody here, by the way. Just getting the rant out of my system.

Can't say I blame you.

Cosmetic testing is unnecessary & cruel!

There is no need to test on animals for cosmetics these days as all the ingredients have already been tested before. It really upsets me to see this.  

Against.

Against.