To coincide with National No Smoking Day on March 10th, the BUAV is highlighting the shocking smoking experiments that continue to be carried out on animals by tobacco company giants Philip Morris (manufacturers of Marlboro®) and RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company (manufacturers of Camel®).

Philip Morris research groups from the USA, Belgium and Germany have recently conducted a series of experiments in which hundreds of young rats were forced into small tubes and made to inhale smoke for 6 hours a day for 90 days. Their restraint was so severe that some died of suffocation, apparently while trying to escape. At the end of the study, those animals who were still alive were killed and their bodies examined. Not surprisingly, all the animals had suffered damage to their respiratory system.

BUAV’s Chief Executive, Michelle Thew states: "It is outrageous that in this day and age, tobacco companies continue to subject animals to these horrific smoking tests when we all know how harmful smoking is to our health. Smoking is a lifestyle choice for humans and it is unacceptable that animals should suffer and die simply in an effort for companies to modify their products."

See press release

10th March 2010