Cabinet included a new rule in the government's omnibus budget bill to stop the cosmetics industry from testing its products on animals.. Cosmetics .Laureen Harper and the Humane Society first endorsed the measure in 2015..The 430-page Bill C-47 Budget Implementation Act includes amendments to the Food And Drugs Act stating: “No person shall sell a cosmetic unless the person can establish the safety of the cosmetic without relying on data derived from a test conducted on an animal that could cause pain, suffering or injury, whether physical or mental, to the animal.” .The ban would take effect six months after Bill C-47 became law..Eight years ago, Harper joined the Humane Society in endorsing a private Conservative Bill S-214 An Act To Amend The Food And Drugs Act that would have outlawed any cosmetic animal testing in Canada and forbid manufacturers’ use of ingredients tested in foreign labs..The bill by then senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen (NB) passed the Senate in 2018, but lapsed in the Commons..“I find it abhorrent,” Olsen said at the time..“In this day and age, we have to find alternatives.”.Animal rights activists last year flooded the department of Health with 69,000 emails and letters demanding a test ban, according to a June 23, 2022, briefing note Ending Cosmetic Testing On Animals In Canada..“Our government recognizes Canadians are concerned about the well-being of animals and supports the elimination of cosmetic animal testing,” said the note..The Health department said it did not permit animal testing at any of its facilities..However, in a 2016 Toy Regulations notice, the department said it permitted animal testing of chemicals and stuffing..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, test methods include applying chemical drops to the eyes of albino rabbits..“The purpose is to help protect children less than three years of age from exposure to harmful substances contained in plastic materials of toys,” said the notice..Methods for Testing Skin-Irritant Properties recommended researchers clip a patch of rabbit fur, apply a solution to the bare skin and “wrap the entire trunk of the rabbit with an impervious material such as rubberized cloth for a 24-hour period of exposure.” .A positive test involves “visible destruction or irreversible damage in tissue,” it said..“Our outdated and poorly-crafted laws let animals down,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, told the Commons Justice committee in 2019..“We’ve fallen very far behind other Western nations and very far behind our own values as Canadians.”
