Human use of tobacco is a complex behavior, shown to be linked to a whole range of genetic and environmental factors that include socio-economic status, age, education level, IQ, accompanying drug and alcohol use, and the presence of other behavioral problems such as anxiety or depression.
These uniquely human factors associated with smoking clearly discredit using animals to study nicotine exposure and addiction.
Decades of nicotine research has tortured and killed countless animals, yielding little to nothing that is of benefit to humans.
Vast numbers of animals continue to suffer and die in cruel and harrowing experiments, and millions of dollars continue to be wasted, which should otherwise be directed to public education and prevention programs.
This is the only effective way to address the problem of nicotine addiction. Never-ending animal experiments only continue to waste precious resources and sentient animals' lives.
Since 2002, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has spent $16.5 million to conduct nicotine experiments on pregnant and newborn animals. This appalling figure does not reflect the total cost of all nicotine research on animals, but only that which focuses on nicotine's effect on fetal and newborn development.
Please contact the following individuals at the National Institutes of Health. Ask that the agency end the decades-long policy of funding nicotine experiments on animals and instead redirect funds towards prevention, education and smoking cessation programs.
IF YOU CAN, WRITE THE LETTER WITH YOUR OWN WORDS!
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