[Animals] Switzerland will not be the first country in the world to ban animal testing

[#Wittels-]

79% of the participants in the referendum on February 13 voted against the animalist proposal

Animal testing is criticized by various environmental groups, but much of the scientific community believes that it is still necessary. Getty Images/iStockphoto

79.08% of the people participating in the referendum held in Switzerland on Sunday, February 13, voted against the po[CENSORED]r initiative legislative proposal (endorsed by animal groups) that sought "the prohibition of animal and human experimentation."

Participation in this call (one of the four issues submitted to consultation simultaneously) was 44.19%; with 1,893,539 votes against the proposition and 500,937 votes in favor.

Consequently, Switzerland will not be the first country in the world to ban animal experimentation, as the entities promoting the consultation intended. In fact, that of Sunday, February 13, was the fourth time that a proposal of this type was rejected in a referendum in Switzerland, although with slight nuances in the wording and statement of reasons.

 

One of the details that has probably influenced the defeat of the proposal is that its wording calls for a total ban on animal experiments, which would lead to a ban on the importation of products that have been tested using animals and, furthermore, , the prohibition of experiments in which human beings participate, according to the interpretation spread by the Swiss government.

The interpretation of the promoting groups was substantially different and was based on ethical issues and the defense of animal rights, proposing new methods (such as computer models) for the development of medicines.

According to the government view, on the contrary, if the proposal had been approved, new drugs could not be developed in Switzerland using current clinical trial techniques and procedures (which require animal and human trials). It cannot be forgotten that Switzerland is a very powerful country in the fields of drug research and development.

The Swiss government had unanimously declared itself against the anti-experimentation proposal on animals, and a large majority of members of the National Council and the Council of State had also expressed their rejection.

Pharmaceutical pressure?

 

The call and the results of the referendum, as can be seen, have many possible interpretations. Thus, for example, John Revill, Reuters correspondent in Zurich, states in his chronicle of results that "the potential [of the proposal] wanted to stop animal and human experimentation, considering that these practices are neither ethical nor necessary, but they found with the opposition of the powerful pharmaceutical lobby of the country, which detected on the economic damage that such a prohibition could cause".

 The precedents of referendums with similar issues and the polls carried out in recent weeks indicated that the proposal would be rejected by a large majority.

 

Link: https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20220215/8059279/supremo-ratifica-retirada-acta-pau-juvilla-decretada-jec.html