It’s Time to Ban Animal Testing of Legal Highs for Good

Peter Dunne has announced that all ‘legal highs’ that have temporary approvals are to be banned in New Zealand when new legislation passes in early May. Organisations that are campaigning to not allow any animal testing of recreational drugs are urging that animal testing not be used to get them back on sale. A ban on animal testing is currently being considered by the Primary Production Select Committee which is due to report back about it on 26 June 1014.

“These drugs are about to stop being sold with government approval, now we just need the government to not allow animals to be killed by the drug manufacturers to try and show ‘low-risk’ and get them back in shops. The government should do this at the same time they remove the drugs from sale.” said NZ Anti-Vivisection Society spokesperson Stephen Manson

“The government want to know the drugs be of low risk but animal testing won’t show this. Nine out of ten drugs tested on animals fail when they get to humans[1]. The data from animal testing gets it wrong more often than tests based on rigorous modern non-animal testing.[2]

“We can’t let the people making millions from selling these drugs kill animals so they can get their products on shelves again. If New Zealand wants legal highs back on sale quickly then allow animal testing; if we want them to be required to pass a strict consistent testing regime that gets it right more often than animal testing’s one in ten times then don’t allow animal testing. It might make it harder for the manufacturers as fewer labs have the technology to do the more modern non-animal tests but it’s by far the best option for the public and animals.

“Both government animal advisory committees oppose animal testing legal highs[3] as do the vast majority of New Zealanders[4]. That the current government is still insisting animal testing be allowed in the face of such opposition is bewildering, especially when there are proven reliable non-animal tests available.

“There’s nothing stopping then passing a ban on animal testing - if the drugs can’t be shown to be safe with the best non-animal tests available sacrificing animals to try and show otherwise should not be allowed.”

[1] http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108576.htm
2 http://www.nzavs.org.nz/submissions/psychoactive-substances-bill
3 National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee submission: http://www.parliament.nz/resource/0001998314 (see page four)
National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee submission: http://www.parliament.nz/resource/0001998326 (see page five)
4 http://horizonpoll.co.nz/page/307/why-kiwis-wo

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