NOT IN MY NAME!

TENS of millions of rabbits, mice and guinea pigs are facing a painful death in laboratory experiments to be imposed next April because of new European Union rules on chemical testing.

The new laws will set compulsory tests for about 30,000 chemicals that have been on the market since before 1981, when there were no stringent health and safety requirements.

Many of the chemicals are used in household items, from shampoo to children’s toys, and EU policymakers have pushed for the new standards, arguing that too little is known about the dangers for human health and the environment.

Current estimates of the number of animals to be affected range from the 16m predicted by the chemicals industry to 45m over 15 years calculated by Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.

The toxicological experiments will include chemicals dropped into rabbits’ eyes, irritants tested on guinea pigs’ skin and cancerous tumours grown on mice. The health risks of chemical exposure during pregnancy will also be assessed on rabbits, causing their babies to be stillborn.

In a U-turn last week David Cameron, the Conservative leader, pledged that his 26 MEPs would back the legislation, boosting hopes that it will be finalised by the end of the year.

This is disgusting. If these were humans being killed we would be calling it genocide because that’s exactly what it is. Tens of millions of animals will die just so the EU can see what happens to them and ‘Call me Dave’ is supporting this.

Why do they need to find out the effects of these chemicals now anyway? They have been in use for more than 25 years. If there was a problem with those chemicals don’t you think we would know by now?

I will not have this genocide committed in my name.

Please, if you are reading this send it to as many people as you can so we can tell the EU:

NOT IN OUR NAME!