Skyler Meade
Staff Writer
California may be the first state to go cruelty-free and ban animal-tested cosmetics. The California state assembly and senate passed bill 1249, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. This bill not only helps animals but also pushes the brands that test on animals such as MAC cosmetics to with drawl from doing so but also makes it illegal to sell products that contain ingredients that are frequently used on animals during testing. The range of products can be anything from makeup to deodorant and even shampoos. A 5,000 dollar fine will also be in place if a company is found selling these products and every day that there is still a violation will add another 1,000 dollars. Which will also help deter companies from selling the products illegally. In the U.S. the FDA does not require products to be tested on animals but they leave it open for the manufactures to apply whatever safety checks they need, even though in 2018 animal testing is unnecessary. The toxicology test is so advanced now that animal testing isn’t needed anymore but companies still choose to do so.
This bill will hopefully be signed by the governor Jerry Brown and in effect by January 1, 2020. Nearly 40 countries around the world have banned animal testing such as India, Israel, and New Zealand. If the bill is passed with hope other states follow in California’s footsteps and continue to fight animal cruelty one state at a time. Maybe California will help the U.S. become the next country to completely ban animal testing.
Animal testing is cruel, unethical and we should want to stop it or at least try to prevent it instead of supporting brands that test on these poor animals. Animals are some of the most innocent creatures on earth and cannot defend themselves, they only have people to speak up for them. More than 200,000 animals are killed yearly in the U.S. due to cosmetic testing. Most of the animals tested on are common household pets such as dogs, cats, bunnies, and other small mammals, they are kept in cruel conditions and tested daily. These test can leave the animals with severe burns, rashes or even cause them to die. Which is the saddest part of all.
As a makeup lover and animal lover, I always try to stay away from companies that I know test on animals. Sometimes it can be hard because so many companies still test on animals which is crazy because it’s 2018. Today there are so many companies now that are completely vegan or cruelty-free and also donate money to stop animal testing/cruelty such as Lush. With Luck by 2020 California will be the first state to push the ban on to the rest of the U.S. to eliminate animal testing altogether and protect animal rights.
