FLICKR, CHARLES WILLIAMS“Ethical” labels are increasingly being applied to everything from food and clothing to financial services. Cosmetics stores brand tote-bags with anti-animal testing slogans, even though multiple jurisdictions have already outlawed testing cosmetics on animals. But when it comes to healthcare, ethical consumerism goes out the window.
All new drugs are tested on animals to meet regulatory requirements and the biology they are based on is learned, at least in part, from animals. Yet surprisingly, animal activists have argued against labeling drugs as tested on animals because they believe animal research is cruel and produces invalid evidence. Currently, drug labels carry little to no ethical information, even with respect to suitability for vegetarians. Therefore, it seems only logical to apply the labeling approach to drugs so that people will know that their medications are tested on animals or contain animal products.
Labeling would give adult objectors the opportunity to decline treatments that are not consistent with their beliefs, something they can usually do as a matter of human rights. Giving people a ...
