Millions of £s of taxpayers money is currently spent on animal experiments each year. The NHS (British National Health Service) is overloaded because the public is constantly bombarded with hyped up news of 'new miracle drugs and treatments', always just around the (very long) corner. Public expectations continue to be falsely and fraudulently raised.

There is now more chronic illness than ever before. Out of 30,000 illnesses 20,000 have no treatment or cure (Bayer advert 1989).

The following are some possible and probable causes of the modern epidemic of new and chronic diseases. These are the very diseases for which the RDS states we need more animal research. But they may in fact have been caused, or facilitated, by animal 'safety' tested chemicals, and we have never heard one word of sympathy from scientists:

1. Cancers (over 200 different types) are now the leading cause of death in Britain. (BMJ 21/2/1998) They can be caused by: cigarettes (The Ecologist herinafter designated as E)  p71), pesticides (E p76), fungicides (E p103), herbicides (E p103), synthetic hormones (E p53), radiation (E p75), hormones in food (E p75), alcohol (E p124), nitrates and pharmaceutical drugs(MIMS) Some brain (E p73) and lung cancers (Sunday Telegraph 1/9/96 p15) contain SV40, a monkey virus found in old polio vaccines. Breast cancer drugs can cause uterine cancer (Observer 4/11/01) DES given to prevent miscarriages in pregnant women in the 1960s, has caused genital cancers in daughters (E p53), Organophosphates may cause breast cancer.(E p73)
E =The Ecologist Vol 28,No2, March/April 1998;

2. Skin cancers: The protective ozone layer in the atmosphere has been depleted by chemicals so the sun's rays are more intense. Also may be caused indirectly by some sun screen lotions as people do not burn so easily so stay in the sun longer, but the harmful (shorter length) rays will penetrate the sunscreen. Financial Times 21/1/99 Pesticides may also be involved. The Ecologist, Vol 28, No2, March/April 1998

3. Parkinson's: can be caused by exposure to pesticides. BMJ Vol 321 11/11/2000

4. Aids: possibly from old polio vaccine which was made using monkey kidney cells which contained symptomless (for the monkey) SIV. 'Biohazard', Report by NAVS, 1987; 'The River' by E Hooper. Penguin Press 1999

5. Multiple Sclerosis: may be viral in origin as, for example, the Faroese epidemic started during World War 2 when the armed services arrived. JRCP London Vol 4 October 1987 p287-294. Mercury tooth fillings. WDDTY Dental Handbook 1993

6. ME/Chronic Fatigue: vaccines, pesticides. Sunday Express 19/10/97 Ecologist, March/April 1998

7. Gulf War Syndrome: OP pesticides. Vaccines (Guardian 12/2/02) Depleted uranium (much tested on animals). Nerve gases. Sunday Express 19/10/97 Ecologist March/April 1998


8. Asthma and allergies: vaccines, especially the large numbers given nowadays, which overload the child's underdeveloped immune system. BMJ Vol 309 15/10/94 p1001 Food additives (colourings/flavourings/preservatives). BMJ 9/9/80 p649-651 perfumes www.immuneweb.org/articles/perfume 1999. Household cleaning chemicals, biological washing powders. Chemicals in synthetic materials, paints, Clin Immun 5/2/96 p102

9. Alzeimer's: (Until a few decades ago, this was quite a rare disease and referred only to premature dementia). Chemicals in the environment including OPs. Also monosodium glutamate and aspartamine in food: Blaydock, Nexus 1/6/2000 p31 Mercury: WDDTY Dental Handbook 1993

10. nvCJD from vaccines containing bovine material Sunday Telegraph 9/5/99 BSE in turn possibly caused by OP pesticides Sunday Telegraph 22/8/93

11. Malformations: Thalidomide. Epilepsy drugs. Other pharmaceutical drugs. MIMS Fungicides, herbicides, Agent Orange etc The Ecologist March/April 1998

12. Autism, Hyperactivity: Vaccines especially MMR. Thompson et al, Lancet 1995; 345:1071-1074

13. Crohn's disease: measles virus/vaccine Wakefield A Lancet 1998; 351:637-641




14. Liver damage: pharmaceutical drugs Drug adverts, MIMS

15. Leukaemia: indoor pesticides Epidemiology 1999; 10. 481-87 Ecologist Vol 28 No2 p101

16. Infertility: May be caused by endocrine disrupters found in pesticides
(Ecologist Vol 28 No2 p102)

The following drugs, all animal 'safety' tested, have been withdrawn since 1990 ·                 Halcion (sleeping tablet/tranquilliser: caused addiction and aggression)1990
· Teflex (antibiotic. Caused liver/kidney failure, allergies) 1992
· Ibopamine (heart drug: increased likelihood of death) 1996
· Alredase (for diabetes. Caused deaths, liver problems) 1996
· Posicor (for hypertension. Caused harmful interactions with other drugs) 1998
· Astemizole (Antihistamine. Caused fatal arrhythmias and also too many similar products on the market) 1999
· Parstelon (Antidepressant. Caused severe hypertensive crises and interactions) 1999
· Raxar (antibiotic. Caused death of 5 people, irregular heartbeats) 1999
· Cisapride (For dyspepsia, gastric reflux. Caused serious arrythmias) 2000
· Medeva (oral polio vaccine: contained bovine serum) 2000
· Lotronex (For irritable bowel syndrome. Caused bowel obstruction and rupture) 2000

People who believe in animal experiments should volunteer to take part in the first (Phase One) clinical trials, i.e. the first humans to test a drug after the animal experiments.

Scientists who are involved in developing and patenting treatments for human use but which have involved animal experiments, should be held wholly and legally responsible, for life, for any adverse consequences to humans from such treatments/pharmaceuticals.

Antivivisectionists can take animal tested drugs if they need to, because even age old herbal and homoeopathic remedies are now being tested on animals. We no longer have the choice.

Footnote: - Remember the majority of vivisection is not for pharmaceuticals but is for household and lifetsyle products e.g. oven cleaners, pesticides, agro-chemicals, industrial toxins, wall paint etc etc. The vivisection lobby and their political and corporate masters don't like people to know of this and makes for a salient point as a public reminder, especially when so many of these products are tested in duplication because of secrecy.  --Jill Russell, February 2002

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