Incredible win! Parliament just passed a bill that will finally end the testing of animals for cosmetics and the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.
The life-saving measures were passed under Bill C-47, the Budget Implementation Act, which fulfills plans in the 2023 federal budget, including a prohibition on cosmetic animal testing. Banning cosmetic testing on animals was also one of the governing Liberals’ promises in the last federal election.
It will now be illegal to test on rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and other animals for the sake of beauty. This brings the law closer in line with Canadian values, as polling indicates that the vast majority of people support ending this cruel practice. In 2021, Canadian laboratories that voluntarily disclosed their data reported using more than 3.5 million animals in experiments.
Canada now joins over 40 jurisdictions worldwide that have passed laws to restrict or end cosmetic animal testing, including the EU, major US states like California, New York, and New Jersey, as well as the UK, New Zealand, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, and Israel.
Canada Just Passed Law to End Toxicity Testing
In a stunning back-to-back victory, Canada also recently passed a bill that will phase out toxicity testing on animals— the cruellest and most painful form of animal research. More than 100,000 animals in Canada are subjected to painful toxicity tests yearly to test the safety of chemicals used in trivial consumer products like floor cleaners and air fresheners.
Toxicity tests can involve inflicting burns or trauma on unanesthetized animals, applying deadly substances to their bodies, and forcing them to eat harmful chemicals. Doses are often given repeatedly for many months, or until an animal dies.
The new law requires the government to support and start using cruelty-free alternatives to toxicity testing on animals, empowers the government to regulate how non-animal testing should be done, and mandates that the Ministers of Environment and Health publish a plan within the next two years to promote animal-free toxicity testing methods. They will then need to report annually on progress made under the new plan.
A huge thank you to the lawmakers, animal protection groups, and kind citizens who joined us in pushing for these compassionate laws, truly shaping a cruelty-free future in Canada for animals used in research!
