Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, is the use of non-human animals in developmental experiments in order to determine the safety of substances such as food or drugs. In the past decade, the practice of animal testing has been a very controversial topic for a number of reasons. First, those who oppose animal testing argue that it results in the captivity and/or killing of many innocent animals. Second, they argue that the process can be very expensive and oftentimes the substances tested may never be used for anything useful. Lastly, those who oppose animal testing argue that it is simply unethical; why should it be okay to better human lives at the expense of animal lives? On the other hand, supporters of animal testing argue that the process helps to find safe drugs and treatments, thus improving human health in a way that would otherwise be risky or impossible. They also argue that animals are the most similar …show more content…
After researching the topic, I have come to the conclusion that animal testing should be legal, but kept to a minimum. In cases where there are humans willing to try a new drug or treatment, animal testing can and should be avoided. Additionally, I think that animal testing should be avoided when testing cosmetic products, which are not essential to human life. However, in non-cosmetic cases and cases where there are no human volunteers, it is very hard for a company to release its treatment without animal testing. Past animal testings have made many medical treatments available including cancer and HIV drugs, insulin, antibiotics, and vaccines. Chris Abee, Director of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s animal research facility said that “we wouldn’t have a vaccine for hepatitis B without chimpanzees,” and that chimps are our “best hope” for finding the cure of hepatitis C, a disease that kills 15,000