[Moderator's note: Please keep animal testing posts directly related to ferrets. This is a reply to a ferret-related post but responses to this should likewise be ferret-related. BIG] So what Vicki and others are asking me to do, is to allow children to be given vaccines, medicines, and other medical treatments that may or may not hurt/maim/kill them as they have not been tested on other living creatures before any human children recieves those treatments? What are the alternatives to animal testing that are safe and effective to protect our lives, and our childrens lives? *Nothing*. Computer models and tissue testing cannot begin to approach the complexity of the human system There are unexpected side effects even with animal testing, called idiopathic effects. What that means is that even with testing and trials things happen with no ability to be predicted and no discenible reason for why they happen. Animal testing allows science to cut down on the incidences of this in humans, but not eliminate it. It sounds laudible and wonderful to ban the animal testing completely, but it will never happen no matter how many petitions you waste you time writing or signing at this state in our technology.. I will confidently state that animals should be respected and not used for cosmetics/colorants and other testing. We have perfectlyy useful products now that do just about everything we need, and they really should not be putting chemicals that need to be tested in soaps/shampoos/colorants/cosmetics. They are full of crud, carcinogens, mutagens and poisons now, and it is just corporate america trying to find cheaper ways to make a buck off us. (If you want to be very scared, try Googling "Toxins in personal care products") In closing, some animal testing is critically important to the health and safety of ourselves, and our children. It will remain until a viable process can be developed to replace it, and animals will have to be tested just to determint that viability. Wasteful and wanton testing in place of a few dollars is a waste of life, and not needed and I heartily support banning any animal testing that is not absoutley necessary to cure/prevent/treat human illness and disease. Thanks! Ken RN Student [Posted in FML 7172]