Don't Let Big Tobacco Conduct Cruel and Unreliable Animal Studies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says if the tobacco industry wants to market products as "low risk" they should conduct experiments on animals.
"Addiction modeling studies" could subject over 100 animals to experimentation per study. Rats and mice would be forced into tubes no larger than their bodies to breathe smoke and toxins for hours at a time -- sometimes for their entire lives -- causing physical and psychological distress.
Experiments forcing animals to "smoke" have misled the public for decades. We can't afford to rely on inaccurate animal "models" when human-relevant research methods are available. Studying how smoking leads to diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease is possible using cells in vitro in the laboratory. And clinical studies and surveys with tobacco smokers are viable alternatives. We don't need more animal tests!
Ask the FDA to stop recommending animal experiments by the tobacco industry.
Dear Commissioner Hamburg:
I am writing to ask you to prevent the suffering and death of thousands of animals in tests conducted by tobacco companies under the FDA's purview. For decades animals have been forced to "smoke" in contrived laboratory experiments, yet thousands of people still die due to tobacco-related illnesses.
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
The results of animal tests are not predictive of human addiction, behavior, or health outcomes. Please ensure that tobacco companies test their products using only human-relevant methods, including advanced in vitro and in silico models and clinical studies.
Sincerely,
[Your name here].
