Peter Singer-Animal Liberation

(BlackTrush) #1

Hundreds of experiments are also performed annually in
which animalsareforcedtobecome addictedtodrugs.On
cocaine alone, for example, over 500 studies have been
conducted. Ananalysisof just 380 of theseestimated that
theycostabout$100million,mostofittaxmoney.^91 Hereis
one example:


InalaboratoryatDownstateMedical CenterrunbyGerald
Deneau,rhesusmonkeyswerelockedintorestrainingchairs.
The animals were then taught to self-administer cocaine
directly into the bloodstream in whatever quantities they
wanted by pushing a button. According to one report,


thetestmonkeyspushedthebuttonoverandover,evenafter
convulsions.Theywent withoutsleep.Theyatefiveto six
timestheirnormalamount,yetbecameemaciated....Inthe
end,theybegantomutilatethemselvesand,eventually,died
of cocaine abuse.


Dr.Deneauhasacknowledgedthat“fewpeoplecouldafford
themassive dosesof cocaine thesemonkeys were able to
obtain.”^92


Even though five hundred animal experiments have been
conductedinvolvingcocaine,thisisonlyasmallpartofthe
totalamountofexperimentationthatinvolvesturninganimals
intoaddicts.InthefirsteditionofthisbookIreportedona
similar set of addiction experiments, using morphine and
amphetamines. Here are some more recent examples:


AttheUniversityofKentucky,beagleswereusedtoobserve
withdrawalsymptomsfromValiumandasimilartranquillizer
calledLorazepam.Thedogswereforcedtobecomeaddicted

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