¶ … controversy with regard to preclinical testing on animals, as society has reached a point where the ethics behind testing drugs on animals makes it difficult and almost impossible for researchers to continue to perform their studies. Institutions such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration agency are unhesitant about supporting testing in animals because this is in most cases the most effective way to find out more about a drug's potential effects on a human. Even though testing on animals can be considered cruel by some, the reality is that it is one of the principal reasons why society as a whole was able to produce some of the drugs that helped mankind evolve rapidly during recent decades.
In order to see the topic of animal testing in a context enabling a person to understand why it is significant, one would have to consider the numerous cases when drugs that appeared to be especially effective proved to have disastrous consequences. In many cases this happened because the people researching these drugs were either unable or unwilling to test them on animals before going through with Phase I trials. Thalidomide is probably one of the best-known drugs when...
This drug appeared during the 1960s and seemed like the perfect solution to morning sickness usually observed in pregnant women. "What women didn't realize at the time was that thalidomide could cause serious birth defects if it was taken during pregnancy." (Watson 4) This makes it possible for someone to comprehend the effects that untested drugs can have on the world.
As cruel as animal testing might seem, the idea is that it is a necessary evil. As much as people like to claim they support moral values, it is likely that society in its current form would never be able to experience progress if people suddenly change their agenda and only take on moral attitudes with regard to everything. Is animal testing wrong? Yes, it certainly is. However, it is also the reason why many people today are still alive. When discussing animal testing in a context involving morality, the discussion could grow to entail a series of other topics. In a perfect world everyone would be a vegetarian and everyone would do their best with the purpose to help others. However, as much as humans like to think there is such…
