someone will always be the first human to be tested on.Because animal tests are so unreliable, they make those human trials all the more risky

half are relabeled because of side effects that were not identified in animal tests. 

prescription drugs kill 100,000 people each year, making them our nation's fourth-biggest killer.

The only U.S. law that governs the use of animals in laboratories—the Animal Welfare Act—allows animals to be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, forcibly restrained, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged

pain-killers are not even required. 

Because the Act specifically excludes rats, mice, birds and cold-blooded animals, more than 95 percent of the animals used in laboratories are not subject to the minimal protections provided by federal laws

scientists have used human brain cells to develop a model "microbrain," which can be used to study tumors, as well as artificial skin and bone marrow. We can now test irritancy on protein membranes, produce and test vaccines using human tissues, and perform pregnancy tests using blood samples instead of killing rabbits

Today, one can even become a board-certified surgeon without harming any animals.

In the United Kingdom , it's against the law for medical (and veterinary) students to practice surgery on animals.

They believe it is acceptable to harm animals because they are weaker, they look different and because their pain is less important than humans’.

that are used in research do not feel pain from the experiments.

no way of knowing how many rats and mice do not feel pain in research.

) were used in research that was either painful, distressful

103,764 of the animals made to feel pain were not given anything

100,000 animals were made to feel pain and fear in 2002

ittle pain now will prevent a lot of pain later.

e animals are only used in one experiment,

more than a hundred years to help prevent cruelty

The Act requires that animals receive veterinary care; adequate, clean food and water; protection from the elements and extreme temperatures; and adequate, clean housing. The Animal Welfare Act also covers animals in zoos, aquaria, and circuses, as well as animals transported to and from places overseas. Any place that wishes to do research on animals must register with the USDA

For example, much of the beginning work showing the link between smoking and heart disease was done by seeing how many people who smoke have heart attacks and strokes versus how many people who don't smoke.

Replacement - Whenever possible, we should replace living, feeling animals with other things like tissue cultures and computer simulations.

We should use as few animals in an experiment as we can. We should be very careful to be sure that experiments on animals are necessary.

unusual for an animal in the lab to live out its full life

Scientists must have stronger reasons to do research on animals now than they used to if they want the IACUC to let them do the research.

IACUC, which stands for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees.

Scientists are now able to do experiments without animals that they couldn't do before.

For example, skin cells can be kept alive in a dish and studied without hurting the animal beyond first taking the skin cells

Improving the lives of animals used in research.

The Animal Welfare Act mostly addresses refinement.

concerned voices of caring people who are not themselves scientists