Every year over three million animals are used in British medical research. This is claimed to be necessary for the benefit of medical science and human health. However, a growing number of doctors and scientists worldwide are pointing out the fact that animal research is totally useless and that its misleading results frequently prove counter-productive and damaging to human health.
Drug manufacturers claim that new drugs must be tested on animals to ensure human safety before they are given to patients; but the evidence shows that animal tests are not only worthless they are dangerously unpredictable.
Testing a drug or chemical on an animal provides no evidence that it is safe for humans. This is because of species differences: animals do not react in the same way to drugs and other substances as we do, due to differences in their absorption, distribution, metabolism. response to and elimination of drugs. Diseases which are induced artificially in the laboratory in order to evaluate drugs can never be compared to those arising spontaneously in humans. Here are just a few of the drugs which have caused horrific damage to people, even though they had all been 'safety tested' on animals:
OPREN: Anti-arthritic drug. Withdrawn in 1982 after more than 70 deaths in Britain and 3,500 other serious side effects, including damage to skin, eyes, circulation, liver, kidneys.
CLIOQUINOL: Anti-diarrhoeal drug. Caused 30,000 cases of blindness and/or paralysis in Japan alone and thousands of deaths worldwide. The drug caused a new disease called SMON.
OSMOSIN: Anti-inflammatory drug. Withdrawn in 1983 after 650 reported serious side effects and 20 deaths.
ERALDIN: Heart drug, given to patients for four years before horrific side effects were identified, including blindness, stomach problems, pains in joints and growths.
THALIDOMIDE: A sedative given to pregnant women, caused approximately 1O,OOO birth defects worldwide.
FLOSINT: Anti-inflammatory drug. Use resulted in reports of 217 adverse effects including 7 deaths.
