Urge the University of Bristol to Ban Forced Swimming Tests

Update (5 March 2024):
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Office Lord Sharpe of Epsom has announced his intention to eliminate use of the forced swim test in the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom has accepted the Animals in Science Committee’s advice to ban the use of this cruel and scientifically flawed test as a model of human depression or for studies of anxiety and its treatment and to further restrict other uses of the test, with steps being taken immediately to do so. No reputable institution should continue using this archaic test. Please help us keep the pressure on the University of Bristol to drop it now.

Original post:
The University of Bristol is insisting on pursuing cruel and worthless forced swimming tests using rats.

University experimenters place small animals in sheer-sided containers of water and watch them paddle furiously in search of an exit, desperately trying to keep their heads above water, terrified of drowning.

The test does nothing more than torment animals and delay the development of effective new treatments for human mental health conditions, which are desperately needed.

Several universities, including King’s College London, as well as many major pharmaceutical companies have stopped subjecting animals to these cruel near-drowning tests, which have also been used in neurobehavioural studies. It’s time the University of Bristol followed suit and invested in humane, human-relevant, non-animal methods.

View Message +

Professor

Evelyn

Welch

University of Bristol

Mr

Jack

Boyer

University of Bristol

Dear {contact_data~title} {contact_data~lastName}:

I’m disappointed to learn that the University of Bristol is yet to drop the forced swim test, even though a freedom of information request revealed that rats and mice haven’t been tormented in this cruel near-drowning experiment at the institution for over a year. Clearly, it is unnecessary and the university could easily end its use permanently.

The previous government stated its intention to eliminate the archaic experiment in the UK entirely – and has already taken the first steps towards achieving this. No reputable institution should still be using this cruel test, which is increasingly being rejected by the scientific community and does a disservice to those suffering from mental health conditions.

In this test, experimenters induce panic in small, vulnerable animals, who are forced into inescapable cylinders of water. Terrified of drowning, they try to climb the steep sides of the container and even dive underwater in an attempt to find an escape.

I urge you to reflect the opinion of the public, the scientific community, and the government by dropping the forced swim test at the University of Bristol immediately. Academic institutions must be at the forefront of accelerating the global shift towards efficient, effective animal-free science.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~Email Address}

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Urge the University of Bristol to Ban Forced Swimming Tests

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