Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the second edition
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Issues in animal experimentation
- 2 A history of animal experimentation
- 3 Opposition to animal experimentation
- 4 The moral status of animals
- 5 Animal use
- 6 The regulation of experiments
- 7 Seeking alternatives
- 8 Conclusions
- Ethical guidelines for students in laboratory classes involving the use of animals or animal tissues
- References
- Index
6 - The regulation of experiments
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the second edition
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Issues in animal experimentation
- 2 A history of animal experimentation
- 3 Opposition to animal experimentation
- 4 The moral status of animals
- 5 Animal use
- 6 The regulation of experiments
- 7 Seeking alternatives
- 8 Conclusions
- Ethical guidelines for students in laboratory classes involving the use of animals or animal tissues
- References
- Index
Summary
We all want to be healthy and safe. We want to have the means to prevent or cure the health problems and diseases that currently reduce the quality of life of millions of people around the world and condemn many to an early death … At the same time most of us would prefer animals not to be used to achieve these outcomes, particularly if they might be caused pain or harm in the process. The policy-maker's job is to find a way of balancing and satisfying each of these conflicting societal aspirations in the public interest, as far as current science and technologies allow.
Walsh and Richmond (2005, p. 85)LAWS GOVERNING HUMANE USE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS
As already noted, animals are integral to many areas of modern science, education and product testing. Western societies insist on the thorough regulation of all such uses and this has been done, albeit in different ways in different countries, with considerable success (World Health Organization 1985). That does not mean of course that there is not room for improvement. Some countries lag behind other nations that have more progressive legislation that accords protection to a wider range of species (e.g. Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, UK and the USA).
While it is beyond the scope of this book to review all statutes in all nations that have laboratory animal welfare legislation, it is worthwhile to contrast three regulatory approaches: the British centralised government inspectorate system, the US self-regulation system, and the enforced self-regulation system of Australia and New Zealand that establishes Animal Ethics Committees (AECs).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Animal ExperimentationA Guide to the Issues, pp. 64 - 73Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009