FORUM CFAAR supports lab research By Devon Wiel An editorial appearing in the Emerald. Sept. 2fi. discussed several issues raised by an ani mal rights protest that took place on Monday. Sept. 24. Animal rights activists claim many experiments that use ani mals duplicate previous experi ments. yet they don't cite the original studies. The experi ments on monkeys here at the University will not duplicate prior experiments and will ad dress questions that cannot be answered any other way. Commentary Tissue cultures comes from animal tissue. Computer mod eling data comes from past ex perimental data using animals. Both are a subject of animal re search. Use of tissue culture and computer modeling are a vital part of the scientific pro cess. but they cannot replace animal experimentation. If you are concerned that cur rent University studies dupli cate existing research, please talk to the people involved in these experiments. Equating cosmetic testing and biomedical research is in accurate. No cosmetic testing occurs here at the University, and many people who do re search on animals do not sup port cosmetic testing Attacking scientists will not get to the root of testing cos metics and households prod ucts on animals — to do that you need to get cosmetic and household product companies to forgo profits and stop mak ing new products The testing came about because of the de sire of consumers for safe prod ucts, and the testing is driven by the American public's de mand for more products. If cosmetics and household products weren't tested on ani mals. who would foot the doc tors' bills for all the damaged eyes, lungs and skin? Living creatures have a right to share the planet. We |hu mans) also have a right to try and cure our illnesses and im prove our survival. Animal research has yielded most antibiotics, insulin for di abetics. organ transplants, a screen for AIDS, and vaccines for polio, hepatitis B. whoop ing cough, diphtheria feline leukemia, canine parvo, animal distemper and many other things taken for granted. Many lives have been saved and enhanced by these medi cines and many people would die if they were not available. Stopping animal research would in essence grant a death sentence to all people who have, or will have, currently in curable diseases. Three questions were raised in the article. Two are easy to answer. The federal department that is in charge of regulating and distributing the most research money (which they provide) is the National Institute of Health. The money is used for person nel, equipment. chemicals, general lab maintenance and other supplies. In addition, animal experi LETTER PERFECT Graphics • Typesetting • Paste-Up/Layout • Design/Consultation • PMT's/Transparenties IL UNiL’N_J'itl-'iJal _il_ By GARY LARSON niciil.it ion is governed t>v inn Animal Welfare Ai I. whi< li sets standards for the care and treat ment of lah animals U S. Pub lic Health Service's Animal Welfare policy regulations are set forth in the book “Guide for the Care and Use of laboratory Animals.” Who should be the judge on which experiments are worthy and which are not7 Scientists must be involved to determine whether experiments are scien tifically sound, hot the values of our society, and the goals and directions of research, must be determined by all members of society. Think about what the costs have been. Kach individual must decide whether the costs outweigh the benefits The Coalition for Animals and Animal Research is an or ganization that supports people making informed decisions about these issues CFAAK's objectives are to educate the public about the true nature of animal research and animal re searchers. to support the re sponsible and humane use of animals in biomedical research and to promote the develop ment and use of alternatives to animals in research CKAAR meets regularly on campus. (licvon Wlel is Secre tary/Treasurt n of l 'FA A H) Clii-H-' Co'ttih t' trams ivmplflt lab