A few studies have tested animals under unlimited-access conditions . Psychomotor stimulants such as cocaine produce a rapid deterioration in the animal's health and a high fatality rate. For this and other reasons, this testing schedule is seldom used. Humans ultimately control their own access to addictive drugs, and the conditions of human drug use can closely resemble that seen in unlimited-access animal studies. But humans can acquire more money for drug purchase to continue their drug-taking binge.
Many cocaine addicts consume all of their drug supply and then collapse from exhaustion.
The limited cocaine supply immediately available protects some addicts from the toxicity inherent in continued use. All studies conducted at the ARU are reviewed by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the University at Buffalo. Externally funded research projects are further reviewed by the granting agencies. And manuscripts submitted for publication are reviewed by journal reviewers who evaluate animal welfare as well as scientific merit of the submitted work. Three independent levels of review assure the proper use and care of the research animals used in these projects.