Government Ensures Animals Will Die to Test Legal Highs
The select committee report on the Psychoactive Substances Bill released today confirms that animals will be used for
the safety testing. After ruling that animal testing was outside the scope of the Psychoactive Substances Bill and
refusing to consider any submissions on the issue the health select committee has now suggested an amendment on how
animals will be used in the testing.
“The Bill now has a clause in it specifically addressing how the government will require the use of animals in the
testing to be governed. The new clause contains no new protections for animals to be excluded from the testing that
aren’t in the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and we know how meaningless token phrases about ‘welfare’ and ‘suitable
alternatives’ are in that Act. All we can know for sure now is that animals will be used and that is appalling” said New
Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society spokesperson Stephen Manson.
“By refusing to read the submissions the government has ignored the advice of many international toxicology experts on
the use of animals for safety testing, both in our submission and provided independently. The expert advice NZAVS
submitted showed animal tests are based on poor science, are inaccurate and that a multitude of modern non-animal tests
that give reliable results are available. These non-animal tests are approved by the OECD and are in use right now
overseas for toxicology testing.
“Although the Bill now addresses animal testing there is still nothing excluding the use of the LD50 test in it. Peter
Dunne ruled its use out last year in statements reacting to the public outcry over the animal testing he was
implementing. He has not followed this through, has reneged on these assurances and is now in no position to back them
up.
“The Bill now mentions the use of animals in detail but the select committee still refused to listen to the view of the
majority of New Zealanders from across the political spectrum, which is that they want no animal testing of these drugs.
They ignored the submissions and they are ignoring what the public wants.
“Our campaign to stop animal testing of recreational drugs will not end until no animal testing of them can occur. NZAVS
has worked and lobbied on this for over nine months now. This won’t end with the enshrining of animal testing of
recreational drugs into law as the Bill as it stands now will do. For this Bill to result in a law that doesn’t cause
harm we need the amendment proposed by Mojo Mathers to pass.
ENDS