by Libbie Reed

Created on: June 05, 2007

We all have a problem with the morals behind using animals for medical research. But, turn this argument on its head and ask yourself - is it morally right to bring medical research to a halt to save mice and dogs?

The unfortunate truth is that we are unable to save human lives without first researching drugs and treatments. The advances we have made with medicine are, in the main, due to the use of innocent animals. But would we really want to return to a time when children died from smallpox, were paralyzed by polio and could succumb to a simple bacterial infection? Without having used animals, that is where the human race would be today. In fact, I wonder how many of us wouldn't even BE here as a result of falling victim to one of these ailments?

Even though drugs and vaccines are first tested on animals, ultimately we have to find PEOPLE who are prepared to undergo trials in order to assess their efficacy. I doubt there would be many volunteers to take part in these trials if we didn't test a drug's safety on animals first.

In all these years of scientific progress we have never been able to find an alternative way to carry out medical research. It would be impossible to continue to make advances in medicine without the use of animal tests. So could we really put our hands up now and say 'we were wrong to use animals and we're not going to do it anymore'? Surely THAT would be immoral.

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