NZ Society Wins Global Award For Fighting Animal Testing

New Zealand banning animal testing of legal highs has been acknowledged with an award given in London. The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS) was awarded the 2014 LUSH Prize for lobbying against animal testing. The prize was given at the awards ceremony in Londonon Friday for the leading role NZAVS played in campaigning and lobbying to get the ban in place. Other winners awarded at the ceremony included organisations from Australia, Taiwan, Kenya, Brazil and Europe.

“It is a huge honour to be recognised with a high profile international award such as the LUSH prize. It took a year and a half but we achieved the animal testing ban that was our original goal from September 2012 when we started work on that campaign. Hard work, determination and a refusal to accept half-way compromises led to the clear line in the sand we have now. No animal testing of legal highs is acceptable or allowed.” said NZAVS Executive Director Stephen Manson who accepted the award on behalf of NZAVS.

“We couldn’t have achieved what we did without the unwavering support and hard work of countless people from all around New Zealand that added to the campaign. Each and every one of them should be proud that what happened here in New Zealand has been acknowledged on the other side of the world in London. Global attention is on New Zealand for this precedent in how legal highs are regulated; we have all ensured it is done with the best humane practices possible which means no animal testing.”

The LUSH Prize has an annual award prize pool of £250,000 funded by LUSH Cosmetics. The fund is split evenly between the five award categories which include lobbying, scientific research, public awareness and more. The Lobbying Prize category is awarded in recognition of exceptional work for policy interventions that achieved a mandatory requirement for non-animal testing in legislation. NZAVS was awarded £35,000 (NZ$70,000) of the Lobbying Prize pool for its work to achieve the restrictions on animal testing in the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013.

“The prize money will give a huge boost to our campaigns for 2015 and can’t thank LUSH Cosmetics enough for the support. We achieved a significant victory in stopping the legal highs animal testing before it started, but there are many more issues to be tackled. We are excited about what the next year will bring; and look forward to making further progress in the global move towards ending animal testing for good. It’s time has passed.” Mr Manson went on to say.

The Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 was initially passed with some restrictions on how and what animal testing could be done after outrage over the extensive range of animal tests proposed at the time. In May 2014 the Act was amended to include a ban on any animal testing being included in the testing regime required by the legislation.

ends

© Scoop Media