Why Kiwis won't swallow party pill tests on animals

22 Apr 13

Why do 72.3% of adult New Zealanders want guidelines for or a ban on party pill testing?

These comments represent the range of views expressed for and against in a HorizonPoll survey undertaken in March 2013:

Allow animal testing:

If animal testing produces the best results it should be allowed on rats only.

If animal testing produces the best results it should be compulsory

If animal testing is the only way to provide reliable results, it should be allowed.

(Use) only wild rats, not dogs if any animals are to be tested on

Rats and dogs are killed every day anyway.

Specified testing on rats

Against testing and animal cruelty:

No testing on animals should ever be allowed

If we can’t determine that party pills are safe without testing on animals, we shouldn’t do it.

I don't believe that animals should be subjected to testing for recreational drugs.

If people want to use synthetic drugs that is to their detriment no animal should suffer because of peoples greed and stupidity

The animals mentioned in the above paragraph (rats and dogs) do not have the same DNA as humans therefore the effect on animals will be different to the effect on humans. Party Pills should be banned with other illicit and illegal drugs

I am extremely against testing on animals especially for crap like this

Test on makers and users, other humans:

Test it on the creators of the drugs

Test them on the manufacturers

Test on the humans already using them and creating the market

If animal testing is used, why not use humans - that way the effect can be proven

Giving a dog party pills. How is that ever right. Test it on the twits who already take these things

I don't believe these substances should be sold at all and certainly not on animals. Test them on the idiots that use them.

Hmm a delicate subject with blurred lines. Firstly if a manufacturer is so sure they have made something safe, then they should test it on themselves first. Secondly, why not advertise for other people to try them

Total ban on party pills:

Ban them all. Why do we need them to have fun??

Party pills are poison. Legalise marijuana and ecstasy

Just ban the drugs outright. No need for any sort of testing, then!

Party pills need to be banned. They are a dangerous influence on people who are after a legal 'high' and seems to me to be a wide open field needing to be controlled

No drug substance can be absolutely proven that it is safe. The Psychoactive Substances Bill should not be introduced.

We should concentrate on banning party pills and the like and teach people to deal with life

Other choices:

Just decriminalise cannabis, at least we know the effects and it would also reduce crime and police time wasted

People should be able to make their own informed decisions, we now know that party pills etc. are detrimental to the user but let them get on with it if they wish

MDMA should be de-criminalised and sold subject to consumer protection laws

Drug testing support and opposition

The survey finds 14.8% support only for allowing animal testing if it produces the best results.

An overwhelming majority of 72.3% support either the introduction of guidelines stating when testing on animals should be permitted or a new clause in the Psychoactive Substances Bill preventing the use of animals in testing psychoactive substances.

A further 13.4% said none of these options was acceptable. In qualitative comments to explain why, most called for a complete ban on psychoactive substances or party pills. Some called for testing people who wanted to use party pills.

Support/ opposition by party vote

There is majority support among voters for all parties currently in the Parliament for animal testing guidelines or a clause in the bill banning testing on animals.

The policy is the responsibility of the Associate Minister of Health, Hon Peter Dunne, who is also leader of the United Future party. 77.6% of respondents who voted United Future at the 2011 general election want guidelines or a clause banning testing, while 10.9% only support testing if it produces the best results.

By party vote at the 2011 general election, 67.2% of National voters want guidelines or testing banned via the current bill. 76.1% of Labour voters, 81% of Green voters, 86.8% of Maori Party voters, 66.5% of New Zealand First voters, 59.2% of Mana and 48% of Act voters want this also.

Among Act voters 7.7% of its voters only supported testing if it produced the best result. The number of its supporters who want guidelines, a ban or an alternative totalled 92.3%.

ENDS

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