Green Party welcomes Govt u-turn on LD50 test
Green Party welcomes Govt u-turn on LD50
test
The Green Party is welcoming the
Government’s u-turn on the use of the controversial LD50
test to verify the safety of party pills, but is calling for
Peter Dunne to reject all testing of party drugs on
animals.
The Government was considering using
the LD50 test as part of its new safety testing regime for
party pills and it could have been part of legislation to be
introduced into Parliament before the end of the
year.
The LD50 test gives increasing doses of drugs
to animals, including dogs, until they find the dosage that
kills 50 percent of the test population.
“The
Government’s u-turn is good, but is only a partial one.
Official documents give no options for testing regimes that
don’t involve harming and killing animals to test for
safety,” said Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Mojo
Mathers.
“Peter Dunne should instruct the
Ministry of Health to develop testing regimes that do not
use animals.
“There is compelling evidence from
around the world that there are testing regimes that do not
involve animals but which are able to demonstrate the level
of safety required.
“We should rule out all
animal testing for party pills. There is no overriding
public good associated with these drugs that would justify
animal cruelty in their testing.
“It is positive
that Peter Dunne has responded to the public backlash
against the use of animals in testing party drugs. He now
needs to ensure all animals are protected from unnecessary
cruelty when the final testing regime is
determined.”
ENDS