Different views

Some people opposed to the use of animals in research take an absolute stance for moral reasons and say that no animals should ever be used in research, regardless of the benefits that research may bring. For other campaigners the choice is easier, as they believe that information from animals studies is of no value in human medicine - a view that is at odds with mainstream medical and scientific opinion throughout the world.

Other people argue that in a society which consumes hundreds of millions of animals a year as food, and in which millions more animals are destroyed because they are seen as pests or vermin, it’s illogical to object to their use in medical research, an area that involves far fewer animals and can do so much good.

Probably the majority position is that in a humane society, animals should not be subjected to needless distress, but the needs of humans take precedence.

The following statements put different views about animal research that may be helpful, in school discussions.

Animal research is not needed to make new medicines... Animal research has been and continues to be essential for the development of new medicines...

Regardless of the benefits, animal research is morally wrong, there is no justification... Nobody wants to use animals for research but it would be much worse to let people be ill, in pain or die unnecessarily...

Animals are cruelly treated in UK laboratories. Scientists only care about their research, not the animals... Most scientists care a great deal about the animals they use and animal research is strictly controlled by law...

Animal research does not help in the development of medicines for people. Animals are too biologically dissimilar to give useful information about the effects of medicines in people. Whatever your moral position, animals tell you about animals, not people... Animals’ and people ‘s bodies are not exactly the same but the similarities are enormous compared to the differences. Provided the research is well designed and conducted, animals give essential guidance about the effects of medicines in people...

We would not need research if people took better care of themselves. Prevention is better than cure... Prevention is always better than cure. We should prevent illness where we can, and treat it where we cannot...

We can find out all we need to know from careful observation of patients and the identification of factors which lead to illness, along with increased use of computers and cell culture tests... Computer and test tube research provides some of the necessary information. In addition, scientists need to study the effects of a medicine in carefully designed animal studies. Only then could doctors justify testing medicines in people...

Animal research gives misleading information, making medicines look safe when they are not. That is why medicines have unexpected side-effects... Animal research gives scientists a good indication of what to expect in patients so that the human studies can be conducted safely. But even years of these studies involving thousands of patients cannot guarantee that a medicine is safe for everyone...

If scientists really cared about using alternatives, they would have already replaced all animal experiments... Wherever non-animal methods give the necessary information, they are used. The contribution of these methods is increasing all the time but it will be a long time, if ever, before it will be possible to mimic all the functions of a complete living body by computer or in the test-tube...