Breaking! Colombia May Become The 1st Country In Latin America To Ban Cosmetics Testing On Animals!

A new bill to end the use of animals in cosmetics testing is set to be introduced tomorrow to Congress in Colombia.

If this important legislation, authored by House Representative Juan Carlos Losada passes, Colombia would become the first Latin American country to adopt a nationwide ban on testing on animals for cosmetics.

The legislation would prohibit the use of animals tested for cosmetics products and their ingredients, both manufactured in and imported into Colombia. The bill would be enacted 12 months after it is signed into law.

“Colombia is taking its first steps to become a leader in Latin America and banning cosmetics testing on animals,”  Jan Creamer, President of Animal Defenders International (ADI) said in a statement. “With advanced alternatives available and already in use around the world, this historic bill should pass at the earliest opportunity.”

Nearly 40 countries have ended the use of animals in cosmetics tests including; the UK, which was the first country to introduce a ban in 1998, India, Israel, New Zealand, and the EU, who have also instituted similar bans.

In June of last year, United States Rep. Martha McSally introduced The Humane Cosmetics Act, which if passed, would also phase out animal testing for cosmetics, and the sale and transport of such products in the country.

In May of 2018, members of the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for a worldwide ban by 2023.

Cosmetic tests on animals can include repeat dose toxicity tests to observe chronic, long-term effects on organs. For such tests, animals may be forced to inhale products, have them pumped down their throats or applied to their skin. For skin sensitisation tests, to assess potential allergic reactions to substances, researchers may deliberately cause painful damage to the animals’ skin.

Investigations by ADI have exposed the terrible torment endured by animals in cosmetic testing, including racks of rabbits restrained in stocks, while products are dripped into their eyes, and guinea pigs suffering raw and inflamed skin lesions.

Such tests cause immense suffering, blindness, and are unnecessary and unreliable.

As per ADI, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods holds a database on Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments which shows 51 methods relevant to cosmetics and toiletries.

On an international level, regulatory agencies, governments, and funding bodies, are encouraging shifting away from animal testing. The use of time tables and roadmaps to replace animals used in the United States, the Netherlands, and Brussels, are the best alternative.