Animal Testing

[wonderwiccan]

Products that were tested on animals are unethical, right? It seems clear to me only in the obvious cases. But I get confused the more obscure the example is. There are companies that don't test on animals, for either individual ingredients or the finished product. However, what if they are using products that they know are safe specifically

Comments

[ushitomo]

Hmm...you raise a few good points.

The bottom line, for me, is that it's ok as long as further animal testing is not supported in any way. If an ingredient in a product was discovered/approved through animal testing in an unrelated case, it's probably ok, unless an industry grows around using animal testing to develop components that other non-testing companies use in their products. Once that happens, it is no longer ethical (for the animals, and additionally because it's a manner of deception towards animal rights activists)

As far as using medications goes, I try to avoid medication as much as possible anyway (if it's necessary, I'm wilnling to take it, but I'd rather not come to rely on drugs when I can heal on my own or just endure a little bit of pain. I'm young, have a particularly strong immune system, and just tend to heal fast, so this may not be possible for everyone). Ideally, I would say it's unethical for me to use even necessary medications that have been tested on animals. My will to survive, though, is (fortunately or unfortunately) stronger than my ethics.

[wonderwiccan]

What about companies that don't do their own testing, but deliberately seek out ingredients that were previously tested on animals by a different company? Would you consider that acceptable? Why or why not?

[ushitomo]

Are they deliberately seeking out ingredients in general, and not caring whether they were animal tested, or are they deliberately seeking out ingredients, and using animal testing as a reason to accept or not accept an ingredient? In the latter case, I would feel it unethical to buy the product. In the former case, it would be a case-by case basis (though based on information that I'd realistically not know. If it was only the company using the ingredients, but without giving an incentive to other companies to use animal testing, then it would be fine. If other companies started to realize that they could indirectly make money by animal testing products (say unique products, and patenting them) that the first company was using, and an industry grew around it, then I'd say it would be unethical.