"As an emergency room physician who has treated countless cases of accidental poisonings and exposures to dangerous products, I disagree with the contention that animal tests are necessary to determine the safety of cosmetics and household products. Animal tests do not protect consumers from unsafe products… I call upon Procter & Gamble to join the ever-growing list of responsible companies that have declared an immediate moratorium on animal-based product testing"
- Daniel Hart, MD, FACEP.

Each year Procter & Gamble blinds, burns, maims and kills thousands of animals each year in product tests that are cruel, misleading and not required by law.

A secretly filmed video in the UK showed experiments carried out on 48 monkeys to test a P&G nasal decongestant already in use by human volunteers. Rubber tubes were forced up the monkeys' noses and then down their throats so that large doses of the product could be pumped into their stomachs. It shows monkeys held in mid-air while substances are injected into their eyelids.

Procter & Gamble claim to be world leaders on researching humane testing methods. But the reality is that in 7 days P&G spent more on adverts than it spent in 11 years on humane testing methods.

NZ reps of multinationals such as P&G often claim that their company only tests on animals due to the requirements of the laws of the USA. There are no federal requirements that cosmetics and personal care products (Toiletries) be tested on animals. The consumer product safety industry is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which stated in 1984 that "It is important to keep in mind that neither the [Federal Hazardous Substances Act] nor the Commission's regulations require any firm to perform animal tests".

Valid methods of testing already exist: Human cell cultures test in vitro for both toxicity and eye irritancy. Tests using tissue cultures and computer models are technologically advanced, as well as more reliable and cost-effective than animal tests.

In 1987 P&G fought a shareholders' resolution that would have eliminated product testing on animals for consumer and household products. In 1990, P&G lobbied against legislation to ban the Draize test in California.

Information from: IDA, California (USA) & Uncaged, Sheffield (UK)

P&G products sold in New Zealand:

• Pantene
• Pert Plus
• Vidal Sassoon
• Oil of Ulan
• Clearasil
• Topes acne treatment
• Cover Girl
• Max Factor
• Blue Stratos
• Insignia
• Old Spice
• Rapport fragrances
• Pampers
• Whispers
• Flash cleaners
• Vicks
• NapiSan
• Milgard
• InfaCare
• Milton infant care products