No prescription drug is marketed without first being tested in animals, yet people are either unaware that this is the case, or don't want to acknowledge the fact. Significantly, this small group was more favourably disposed to animal experimentation than the larger number who said they weren't aware their drugs had been tested on animals. As the answers to the two versions of our first question have revealed, however, public opinion on animal research is not set in stone. Argument for or against particular types of experiment might swing public opinion. Our results highlight those types of experiment on which antivivisectionists might expect an abolitionist argument to receive a sympathetic hearing.
People can clearly weigh the pros and cons of animal experimentation.
It's time for those who want to pursue a peaceful debate to seize the initiative.