Programs & Campaigns

A Voice for All Animals

August 21, 2003

Union Leader Corp.
100 William Loeb Drive
P.O. Box 9555
Manchester, N.H. 03108-9555

Dear Editor:

Michael Fumento's remarks about "Legally Blonde 2" in his guest commentary (August 18, 2003) appear to be a desperate attempt to draw attention away from animals suffering in cosmetic testing labs.

Perhaps Fumento was protecting chemical giants like Pfizer that belong to the "Trustee Circle" of his employer, the Hudson Institute.

In the name of shiny hair and smooth skin, companies poison animals to protect themselves from lawsuits. Contrary to Fumento's claims, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does not mandate animal testing for cosmetics. Fumento fails to mention effective alternatives like Corrositex, Agarose Diffusion, Cell and Tissue Cultures, Epiderm, EpiOcular, chemical assays and bioassays.

Why would anyone disagree with these safe and humane standards? Maybe they work on behalf of companies raking in billions of dollars from suffering. Fumento's piece reflects this bias.

In 1996, the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) launched its internationally recognized non-animal testing standard. CCIC approved companies do not conduct or commission animal tests and do not use ingredients or formulations tested on animals. CCIC's "Leaping Bunny" logo guarantees that these products are safe and kind.

For a free CCIC product guide contact the Ethical Science and Education Coalition at esec@neavs.org or 617-523-6020.