Americans Find Rare Common Ground Over Cosmetic Testing on Animals
A survey has found that a majority of Americans, regardless of age or political affiliation, would support a federal law prohibiting the testing of cosmetics on animals.
Cruelty Free International hired SurveyUSA to conduct a poll of 1,000 American adults to find out their thoughts on ending cosmetics testing on animals.
According to the findings, 71 percent of the people surveyed oppose such testing for shampoo, makeup and similar products.
The survey, conducted in August, showed little disparity when it was broken down by age group: 76 percent of people ages 50-64, 75 percent of people ages 65 and above, 72 percent of people ages 35-49, and 65 percent of people ages 18-34 were opposed to animal testing for cosmetics.
Furthermore, a majority of people said they would support a federal bill prohibiting animal testing for cosmetics regardless of their political affiliation.
The survey found that 83 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of independents would “support” or “strongly support” a federal bill.
The idea that conservatives are not concerned with animal testing for cosmetics was challenged by the survey results.
Seventy-one percent of the people who said they would support a federal law to ban animal testing for cosmetics said they were “very conservative.”
The margin of error for the survey wasn’t provided.
The united opinion among Americans regarding cosmetics testing on animals has been acted on in the form of a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate in November.
Out of the four senators who proposed the bill, two are Republicans — Martha McSally of Arizona and Rob Portman of Ohio — and two are Democrats — Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
The bill, called the Humane Cosmetics Act, “would phase out the sale of any cosmetic products developed using animal testing and make it unlawful to conduct cosmetic animal testing in the U.S.”
The legislation would make it illegal to test cosmetic products on animals and sell cosmetic products that have been tested on animals starting one year after the bill is enacted.
On the 3rd day of Christmas we wish for US legislators to support the Humane Cosmetics Act (HCA) and end cosmetics animal testing in the USA! ✨❤️ Use our tool to ask your US Representative to support the HCA: https://t.co/KlexiSx6xI #AllWeWantForXmas #HumaneCosmeticsActNow pic.twitter.com/clbclsQQ1r
— Cruelty Free International (@CrueltyFreeIntl) December 15, 2019
“It’s long past time to end cosmetics animal testing in the U.S.,” McSally said in a statement. “Not only is this practice inhumane, but it is also ineffective and costly. Companies across the U.S. now successfully use alternative methods of testing that more accurately predict the effect of cosmetics on humans.
“This bipartisan bill would protect innocent animals from needless abuse, while modernizing our cosmetics industry.”
She tweeted a link to the test of the bill.
It’s long past time to end cosmetics animal testing in the U.S. It’s inhumane, ineffective, & costly. I intro’d a bipartisan bill today with @SenBooker @SenRobPortman @SenWhitehouse to end it for good. https://t.co/BvaZUGyR5D
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) November 18, 2019
Cruelty Free International has expressed its support for the bill.
“We applaud this renewed effort to bring an end to animal testing for cosmetics across the United States,” Cruelty Free International CEO Michelle Thew said in a statement. “This bill will match the progress that we are seeing around the world as consumers, companies, regulators and advocates come together to achieve the common goal of ensuring that animals will no longer suffer for the sake of cosmetics anywhere.”
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