As Europe implements animal testing ban US consumers urge the same in the States

On March 11, the European Union implemented the ban on the sale of cosmetic products tested on animals and whilst the Food and Drug Administration does not require animal testing to prove the safety of cosmetics, it is not outlawed completely.

Time to act​

According to a nationwide poll conducted by Lake Research Partners, 67 percent of American voters oppose testing cosmetics on animals, and animal rights organization Humane Society US believes this is the indicator that the US industry should take note and follow its European counterparts.

“While policy is important, consumers can act now to help animals by purchasing cruelty-free products and demanding that cosmetic companies go cruelty-free,”​ said Pascaline Clerc, senior director of animal research issues for The HSUS.

“As these poll results demonstrate, U.S. companies still conducting tests on animals need to move away from these practices given the public’s concern for animal suffering and human safety.”​

The survey says…​

The survey found that 68 percent of voters know that animals are used to test the safety of cosmetics, and three in four voters say that they would feel safer, or as safe, if non-animal methods were used to test the safety of a cosmetic instead of animal testing.

The majority of women surveyed were found to largely oppose animal testing of cosmetics, with many stating that animal testing of cosmetics should be illegal.

The survey of 802 U.S. registered voters, including 206 via cell phone, was conducted by Lake Research Partners from Feb. 5 - 11, 2013.