You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Nowadays animal experiments are widely used to develop new medicines and to test the safety of other products. Some people argue that these experiments should be banned because it is morally wrong to cause animals to suffer, while others are in favour of them because of their benefits to humanity. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
It is true that animals are used for research in a variety of sitting, including tests to determine the safety of drugs, cosmetics and other substances. Although reasons can be given to justify this view, I personally believe that these experiments should be banned because it is ethically unacceptable.
There are several reasons why some people support using the animal in the medical research and other products testing. Firstly, the human is the important being on the planet so everything should be done to ensure human safety and survival. Animal testing enables scientific and researchers to test the safety of medication and other substance with which humans have regular contacts. Drugs, for instance, may pose significant harm to humans, so testing them on animals first give researchers good chance to determine drug safety before human trials are performed.
Secondly, researchers aim to minimise the suffering that animals experience in experiments by giving painkiller and anesthetic drugs. However, I would strongly agree with those who believe that animal experiments should be banned. Animal right activists (who defend animal right) argue that the lives of animals should be respected. The benefits of research using animals do not justify the suffering caused and the ethical debate against animals testing. Also, there are alternative non-animals methods of testing. For instance, computerised human – patient simulators and In vitro testing which is defined as a research using human cells and tissue can be used instead of using animals.
In conclusion, there are some convincing arguments for and against animal testing, but I strongly believe that we as humans have no moral right to do experiments on animals and we should do everything we can to protect them.
[ Written by – Safa Ahmed ]