Good news for all AL’s!!!!
Dear friends,
What is an AL? Well read on to find out the fantastic news and example the EU has set for themselves and the world. Finally some humanity!! AL is Animal Lovers. But you don’t have to be an animal lover to appreciate this news, you just have to be human and kind.
GREAT NEWS FOR ALL ANIMAL LOVERS! The ban on animal testing has reached another milestone!
Now in the European Union (EU), all cosmetic products that are tested on animals are banned! It hasn’t taken full effect, but it has been implemented. The previous ban that was implemented in 2009 to stop animal testing, was also re-enforced so that no animals are allowed to be used even if it is to test on complex health effects such as cancer.
I am very glad to hear this news… every year, millions of animals die and suffer for being used to test cosmetic products. It is terrible that for beauty, we support products that are tested on animals. There are newer technology that can test these cosmetics without the need of animals. The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) did a great job in pressuring the whole European Union to ban animal testing for cosmetics even at the risk of jeopardizing the cosmetic industry.
I hope that the ban on animal testing will be fully implemented to all countries and for the ban to not only cover cosmetics, but for many other products such as in the medical field.
Countries which are part of the EU are:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Tsem Rinpoche
EU bans sale of all animal-tested cosmetics
[Extracted from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21740745]
A complete ban on the sale of cosmetics developed through animal testing has taken effect in the EU.
The search for alternative to animal testing goes on
The ban applies to all new cosmetics and their ingredients sold in the EU, regardless of where in the world testing on animals was carried out.
The 27 EU countries have had a ban on such tests in place since 2009. But the EU Commission is now asking the EU’s trading partners to do the same.
Animal rights lobbyists said EU officials had “listened to the people”.
The anti-vivisection group BUAV and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) said they had spent more than 20 years campaigning on the issue and had enlisted celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Morrissey and Sienna Miller to their cause. They congratulated the EU Commission for putting the ban into effect.
But BUAV says many countries in the world still test on animals for cosmetics and the group is now pressing for a global ban.
Mice and rats are used for more than half of all lab animal tests carried out in the EU.
Despite the EU’s 2009 ban, cosmetics firms were allowed to continue testing on animals for the most complex human health effects, such as toxicity which might lead to cancer. However, those tests now come under the ban too.
The EU Commission says it is working with industry to develop more alternatives to animal testing, and that it allocated 238m euros (£208m; $310m) in 2007-2011 for such research.
Cosmetics firms are concerned that the ban could put Europe at a competitive disadvantage in a global market.
Cosmetics Europe chief Bertil Heerink, quoted by the Associated Press news agency, said that “by implementing the ban at this time, the European Union is jeopardising the industry’s ability to innovate”.
Pictures of Animal Testings in the Laboratory
Beagles are breed to be tested on… they typically live for up to 5 – 6 years with their whole lives being tested on drugs.
Every year, just in the US and EU, over 65,000 – 70,000 monkeys are bred for the purpose of testing. Monkeys are usually used to test drugs for hepatitis, HIV, neurological studies, genetics and xenotransplantation…
Due to their gentle nature, rabbits are often used in animal testing as they are easy to handle. More than 200,000 rabbits are used for animal testing in the USA… Most of our shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, etc are tested on rabbits. In the picture above, the rabbit’s fur is removed and a test chemical is applied onto the skin, which is usually left unwashed for 2 weeks in order to see the corrosive nature of the chemical. Often, the rabbits will experience much burn on the skin and tissue damage… and after the experiment, they will be killed.
Mice is one of the most common animal that is used in animal testing due to their fast production rate, low cost, easy handling and small size. More than 100 million mice are killed in US laboratories every year. Mice are intelligent mammals and feel pain just like us, they also feel much psychological distress just like any other mammals, and yet they are the most abused animals within this industry, making up close to 95% of all test animals!
Puppies… breed to enter the laboratory… poor mumus…
A picture of a cat, being fitted into a device so that testings can be done on it.
A campaign poster by PETA against Animal-Tested Cosmetics. Finally, all their hard work has gotten results!
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谢谢仁波切的分享。人类的贪欲，科学的昌明，地球上的小动物往往无辜的成为人类的牺牲品。为了皮肤表面上的光滑和美丽，上万的无辜小动物就要饱受内心的痛苦和伤害被做试验，让人类有所欲为。善哉！善哉！
Animals deserve love. Not this disgusting and inexcusable torture. Humanities vanity is disgustingly abusive. We should be aashamed.
We always sees the elegent side of cosmetic, we always see the beautiful side of the products, That is a covered outcome, it is not real, when we walk along the production line, when we walk to the backstage of these products, we will see the unbelievable ugly truth, in order to make it beautiful, so many animals been tortured, been sacrifice, just for us to look good in front of people, is this really worth it? I’m so happy that the authorities are taking action against these cruel act, more people are acknowledging the cruelty and are stopping it, we shall stop using it too… Doesn’t matter about people around us, but we start first.
wooooooohooooooo, i am a huge AL and i love this news!!!!!!!!! the animals are going to be saved from animal testing! i love it can you imagine more animals being happy and treated properly, well i can and i love it!!!! nice job EU
This is very good news in fact. I was so happy that the EU are doing this. Animals do not deserve to be treated like this. They shouldn’t be put through the suffering of animal testing. Its just pointless. I cant tell you how happy i am to hear this news. And i also think that the last pic that PETA created was very well done, with lots of creativity to show the truth. I hope that that message reaches many people.
I’m so glad to know that more animals are freed from the labs in the EU. Animals do not deserve to be chained and caged in the labs, they belong to the nature. The EU countries have set a very good example to other countries around the world, I hope that more countries will follow their footsteps and eventually stop animal testings.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Love, beatrix.
用另一个生命的痛和苦换来的美丽，你说会是怎样的一种美丽？
动物跟人既不是同一个品种，基因也不一样，拿它们来做试验，在科学上逻辑性有多高？嘿，大家去想想吧。
关于动物试验和其迷思，可以看看这文章：
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Animal%20Testing/MedicalAchievements.htm
Finally!!! Thank you EU for making such a wonderful contribution in giving the animals a chance to live without being tortured! Sadly, many people just don’t know how much pain and torture are inflicted upon those animals for the sake of beauty. Some can buy thousands of dollars worth of cosmetic and not know how their products were tested. If Body Shop can sell their products without animal testing, why can’t the others? It’s just the effort and care that Anita Roddick have that makes it special. I truly wish that in time, ALL skin care, cosmetics,etc will be sold without animal testing!
Yaay congratulations to those countries who are making a fabulous stand for our animal friends! I definitely support this and I sure would not mind choosing make up that are organic and that does not test on animals.
I do not wear make-up much so it is easy for me to stop or switch to animal friendly make ups but I also know that almost all pharmaceutical products sure does such tests… apparently almost all the meds we take and creams we apply!
It is really wonderful to see this first step being taken on by the EU and hopefully it will spread to other countries and include other products. I think Malaysia to have this ban too! Beauty should not cause suffering on others. If it does… is it really beauty?
“THE IDEA THAT SOME LIVES MATTER LESS IS THE ROOT OF ALL THAT’S WRONG WITH THE WORLD.” By Palk Farmer. “All animals have the ability to suffer in the same way and to the same degree that we humans do. We believe that every creature with the will to live has the right to live free from pain and sufferings. As PETA founder has once said, “When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy!” Each values his or her own life and fights the knife. Only prejudice allows us to deny their rights that we expect for ourselves. Whether it’s based on race, gender or species, prejudice is morally unacceptable. TO BUAV AND ECEAE,on behalf of all living beings, especially animals, please except my humble
heartfelt thanks and congratualtions to the European Union for this most precious lives saving “Gift”.
I feel so happy right now because testing cosmetics on animals at EU are banned. I also feel very sad when I looked at the pictures above, especially a picture about a cat being fitted into a device. Why should animals be treated in that way can’t we just care and love them. WHY TORTURE THEM? I hope more bands to animal cruelty will increase.
Good news to know that ban of animal tested cosmetics. That is horrible and sad when see the picture of animals testing in laboratory. May all this tested-animals have a good reborn in next life .
Agree with David Lai that when we go shopping and will looking for the items which is zero animal testing . Love animals .
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing the news to us.
Animals testing on Cosmetics industry and in Science industry must stop it. Animals have right to live. agreed what Sharon had post ( . When the buying stops, the torture and killing will too! ), should take action to stop it.
Best Regards : Eric kksiow
Better late than never but there is still a long way to go. The biggest cosmetics market in the world today is the US and Japan who combined make up more than 50% of the global cosmetics market. And let’s not forget China’s burgeoning demand for luxury goods such as cosmetics. The EU ban is a great start but the push needs to continue into the US, Japan and China where I suspect it will meet the greatest resistance.
At the end of the day, no matter how mighty the industry is, the consumer is king and therefore if consumers around the world were to make buy-decisions based on humanitarian grounds instead of which brand makes the eyelashes curl best, the industry will have to abandon animal testing altogether.
I am glad to see there at least there is now an emerging trend to steer away from animal abuse and I hope it extends throughout the luxury goods industry. It is bad enough to kill animals to satisfy our appetite for the taste of their flesh, it is even worse to kill animals to make sure that we can look good without being harmed by the very substance that we kill animals with.
O h m y g o o d n e s s!!!!!!!!!! About TIME!!!!!! We do NOT need more cosmetics/toileteries.. look at what a huge range there is available now already… (which we didn’t really need in the first place but that’s another story!) I am so happy to see this news and i hope this will be the beginning of a worldwide ban on animal-testing. Please also be aware that many products may have animal products in them too so we need to be discerning consumers. When the buying stops, the torture and killing will too!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this really good news and please let’s everyone share this story everywhere to spread awareness!
This is great news from EU!
I truly hope that Malaysia and the rest of the world will buck up and support the ban on animal testing. I, for one wouldn’t want to be on the other side of the testing. I cannot, for the life of me, imagine myself being kept in a tiny cage and have random liquid/paste applied on me to test for reaction. Downright cruel!!!!
Was just going through some of the toiletries that at i am using to see if they were tested on animals and i was taken by surprise! Will definitely change my products! *shakes head* Check your products here ( http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx )
May all countries be rid of the cruel animal testing products and have organic products available worldwide! Guilt-free, and eco-friendly! This matter should be taken seriously..
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Rinpoche. Thank you!
The images look like they came from a movie but it as real as it can be. Not only the cosmetic the medical industry rely very much on animal to test the effective of the drugs. This is massive sufferings for the victim, the abuser, and the patient. The medical drug is produced from the suffering of animals caused by torture experiments. Therefore for the patient to be cured of illness by using the medications derived from these suffering is illogical because suffering creates more suffering. In this case the demand for medications without controlling the source that is how the medications are developed will cause more suffering for the patients in the long term.
I’m truly glad that the EU has taken one step further to curb animal testing by applying this new ban. I believe by taking this step people will gain more awareness, not only within the EU countries, but also since this is a large step for animal rights… other countries will also take special attention and also the people from other countries will begin to follow suit, perhaps not immediately but slowly they will come to adopt buying cosmetics that are not animal tested.
Just like how PETA’s poster campaign portrayed… the truth will eat into people’s minds… buying products that is animal cruelty free, is a choice… a really good choice.
This is another aspect of humanity that is really sad. I hate the fact that the beauty/toiletries that we use every day are developed on the suffering of animals. This is really bad karma and just like meat eating, we are so far removed from whats going on in reality that I, like many people are largely ignorant of what goes on in the labs of beauty companies the world over.
We buy into brands based on their advertisement and not really based on their ethical practices. I am happy in a way to learn that there are companies out there that are doing their testing without hurting any animals and with more awareness, that’s definitely the way to go forward. The next time I go shopping, I would be looking for zero animal testing on my toiletries. Even if that’s more expensive but its worth it.
I’m really glad and happy this ban has finally taken its place, like what Cliff said : Im sure there would be alternative ways in order to test their products without the use of animals. I totally agreed with that!! What many don’t know is the ugly truth behind the countless products that we use are tested on animals, not even myself!! >_<
Imagine the animals got tortured and abused throughout their lives just for the sake of the beauty products and the selfishness of human! Really heart breaking!
We should spread this awareness and stop all these animal testing products!!
I’m really glad this ban has finally taken its place, Im sure there would be alternative ways in order to test their products without the use of animals. What many don’t know is the ugly truth behind the countless products we use are tested on animals. Tortured and abused throughout their lives just for the sake of people’s beauty products, youth anti-ageing creams, etc. its just a shame of the irony. I think its time to focus on natural beauty than the external beauty. Viewing those photos are just heart breaking,
All I can say is, it is about bl**dy time! I absolutely love the last poster (of Kimberly Wyatt)… if a picture paints a thousand words, this surely does.
It is amazing though that all the animals that had suffered and died because of one species’ vanity!!!
What I would like to know is how much of that karma do we ourselves absorb using such products through the years oblivious to the going ons… scary thought huh!