2008 Woodie Awards
Consumers need to pay attention to labels, avoid products that are tested in cruel animal experiments
Lani Love
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
You use them every day: hairspray, shampoo, soap and household cleaners. But does anyone ever stop to check for the cruelty-free label on the back before purchasing? Have you ever considered the thousands of animals tortured and killed each year so you can wash your hair and clean your house? Could you live with yourself if you knew?
The companies that test their products on animals not only are cruel; they are evil. The most widely used test is the Draize Eye Test. Rabbits are used in this test because they have no tear ducts and cannot produce tears. The animals are placed into boxes, exposing only their heads. The products are rubbed into their eyes to test the corrosiveness of the chemicals. Often there are no pain relievers given because it might interfere with the results. Rabbits frequently break their backs and necks attempting to escape the boxes.
According to the Group for the Education of Animal-Related Issues, or GEARI, "Noted toxicologists and health professionals agree that the Draize Test is crude and imprecise because it is strictly observational." GEARI also offers alternatives to test products on rather than on defenseless animals. Synthetic skin called Corrositex is used to test corrosive materials such as chemicals found in products. There also are computer models, improved statistical design and the Murine Local Lymph Node Assay, a method of predictive testing of contact allergenicity. Plus, can't they figure out from previous tests which chemicals are hazardous and which ones are not?
These tests are not required by law, and more than 500 companies have given up testing. Many do it simply to avoid a lawsuit. I understand this, and I feel that these companies easily can opt for an alternative method. It breaks my heart to think people actually will force a dog to eat harmful chemicals to see how quickly it dies or rub products into rabbit eyes without the use of anesthesia and the many other things they do and actually call it a career. How can those people look at themselves? I could not. How many times do they have to perform these cruel forms of torture to know that it is, in fact, harmful? How many different kinds of toothpaste do we really need? I have no respect for these so-called scientists, the companies and the products caught up in this cruel act.
I've opted for cruelty-free products. There are many out there. You just have to take the time to look on the label.
The companies that test their products on animals not only are cruel; they are evil. The most widely used test is the Draize Eye Test. Rabbits are used in this test because they have no tear ducts and cannot produce tears. The animals are placed into boxes, exposing only their heads. The products are rubbed into their eyes to test the corrosiveness of the chemicals. Often there are no pain relievers given because it might interfere with the results. Rabbits frequently break their backs and necks attempting to escape the boxes.
According to the Group for the Education of Animal-Related Issues, or GEARI, "Noted toxicologists and health professionals agree that the Draize Test is crude and imprecise because it is strictly observational." GEARI also offers alternatives to test products on rather than on defenseless animals. Synthetic skin called Corrositex is used to test corrosive materials such as chemicals found in products. There also are computer models, improved statistical design and the Murine Local Lymph Node Assay, a method of predictive testing of contact allergenicity. Plus, can't they figure out from previous tests which chemicals are hazardous and which ones are not?
These tests are not required by law, and more than 500 companies have given up testing. Many do it simply to avoid a lawsuit. I understand this, and I feel that these companies easily can opt for an alternative method. It breaks my heart to think people actually will force a dog to eat harmful chemicals to see how quickly it dies or rub products into rabbit eyes without the use of anesthesia and the many other things they do and actually call it a career. How can those people look at themselves? I could not. How many times do they have to perform these cruel forms of torture to know that it is, in fact, harmful? How many different kinds of toothpaste do we really need? I have no respect for these so-called scientists, the companies and the products caught up in this cruel act.
I've opted for cruelty-free products. There are many out there. You just have to take the time to look on the label.
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