Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act Passes Second Reading in Canadian Senate
With Taiwan recently announcing a ban on the sale of cosmetics that are tested on animals, I think it is safe to say many people are hoping that Canada will follow in those footsteps and enact a similar law. Bill S-214, which recently passed its second reading in the Senate, may just be our chance. According to Open Parliament:
“This enactment amends the Food and Drugs Act to prohibit cosmetic animal testing and the sale of cosmetics developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing. It also provides that no evidence derived from animal testing may be used to establish the safety of a cosmetic.”
The bill was introduced a year ago, and after passing its second reading in the Canadian Senate “with overwhelming support,” Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen, the bill’s sponsor, stated:
“This is an important next step which brings us closer to ending cosmetic animal testing in Canada. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this important Bill.”
Thomas Walkom, National Affairs Columnist for The Star, outlined just a few of the tests that are performed in the name of cosmetics, highlighting the unnecessary pain and torment caused to animals. He even notes that the bill is not as “controversial” as some may think, since it includes an “escape clause that would allow the health minister to override the ban under certain circumstances.”
According to KelownaNow, the next step for the bill is to “move to the Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee for further study,” and if passed Canada will join a “total of 35 major markets, including the EU, Israel, India, New Zealand, and Taiwan,” which have “enacted cosmetic animal testing and sales bans.” Recently, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) also announced that an animal-free cosmetics testing method is under review.
While we keep our fingers crossed for the outcome, Leaping Bunny’s free compassionate shopping app serves as a great guide for finding cruelty-free cosmetics.
Photo Credit: www.huffingtonpost.ca
