22nd December 2011
By Anthony Gucciardi
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
Animal testing is a controversial subject not only in the United States, but around the globe. Chimpanzees, among other animals, are used to test big pharma’s latest ‘miracle’ drug as well as experimental skincare products and vaccinations. Recently, the National Institutes of Health and the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine took a stand against biomedical research on chimpanzees.
In a landmark report, the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine determined chimpanzee testing to be “largely unnecessary” – a statement that challenges the testing process that costs taxpayers $30 million a year to maintain.
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As a result, the United States has cut funding for the testing through the National Institutes of Health. In addition to the funding cut, the NIH has called a halt on new projects in a move that could usher in the end of a practice once common in the pharmaceuticals industry.
Funded by $30 million in taxpayer money
“Nearly 1,000 chimpanzees remain in six U.S. laboratories, with about 500 of them owned by the federal government,” the Humane Society notes. “The cost to federal taxpayers is $30 million a year to maintain these animals and use them in research, and the United States is the only industrialized nation to continue this practice.”
Over 1000 chimps are in captivity in American laboratories, with the biggest ape facility in Louisiana. Britain, on the other hand, banned medical tests on all large apes in 1998. Amazingly, large pharmaceutical corporations like GlaxoSmith-Kline and AstraZeneca managed to get around this attempt at preserving animal safety by using small animals instead like monkeys. More than 2500 monkeys are used in British laboratories every year.
As officials speak out against chimpanzee testing and halt funding for these tests, organizations around the nation – and even around the world – will begin to follow suit. Many of the pharmaceutical drugs that are tested on these apes are toxic cocktails that cause life-hindering side effects and even death. Even after the initial testing phases involving animals, these pharmaceuticals exhibit horrendous side effects, killing more consumers than traffic fatalities.
It may be time to ask if big pharma should even be testing their latest chemical concoction on any living creature, let alone labeling it safe for human consumption.
About the author:
Anthony Gucciardi is an accomplished investigative journalist with a passion for natural health. Anthony’s articles have been featured on top alternative news websites such as Infowars, NaturalNews, Rense, and many others. Anthony is the co-founder of Natural Society, a website dedicated to sharing life-saving natural health techniques. Stay in touch with Natural Society via the following sites Facebook – Twitter – Web
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