Two Mexican universities continue to allow the cruel forced swim test. Tell them it’s time to end this junk science!

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) in Mexico City and Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Puebla, two prestigious higher education institutions in Mexico, have so far refused to ban a pointless and cruel test in which mice, rats, and other small animals are forced to swim for their lives in inescapable beakers of water. PETA has shared with IPN’s and BUAP’s leadership the overwhelming evidence of the scientific and ethical shortcomings of the forced swim test and the growing list of important universities and pharmaceutical companies worldwide that have stopped using it. But BUAP and IPN have ignored this information.

The Cruelty of the Forced Swim Test

When dropped into beakers of water, panicked animals subjected to this cruel test try to escape by attempting to climb up the sides of the beakers or even diving underwater in search of an exit. They paddle furiously, desperately trying to keep their heads above water. Eventually, they start to float.

Experimenters using this absurd test claim it can help determine the effectiveness of experimental antidepressant drugs in humans, based on how long the animals swim before floating.

However, the test has been heavily criticized by scientists who argue that floating may be a positive sign of learning, conserving energy, and adapting to a new environment.

The Forced Swim Test Is Bad Science

Forcing animals to swim for their lives inside containers is a poor model for human mental health. These experiments do nothing more than terrify animals.

The test is so worthless that it is actually less predictive than a coin toss. This is what PETA scientist Dr. Emily Trunnell found after analyzing its use by major pharmaceutical companies. Her study was published in Drug Discovery Today.

How You Can Help Animals

Following discussions with PETA entities, 15 major companies, including Bayer and Johnson & Johnson, and several universities (some of which previously performed the test for depression studies) have declared that they don’t intend to use the forced swim test in the future.

Please take a few minutes to take action below by sending a polite letter urging Instituto Politécnico Nacional and Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla to permanently ban the forced swim test today!