Mexico has become the first country in North America to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals.
The Mexican Senate passed the motion with a sweeping majority in a move that is being hailed by animal rights activists as a great victory.
The new legislation prohibits the manufacturing, importing, and sale of makeup products that have been tested on animals.
“This is a monumental step forward for animals, consumers, and science in Mexico,” said Antón Aguilar, executive director of Humane Society International Mexico.
The move has also been supported by major makeup producers including Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, and Avon Products, all of which are lobbying with several governments to produce similar legislation and motivate their competitors to get in line.
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Industry observers have noted that the new law was strongly influenced by a stop-motion animated film produced by Humane Society International. “Save Ralph” tells the heartbreaking story of a rabbit “tester” who was brought to life by a star-studded multinational and multilingual cast.
“I was delighted to lend my voice to Humane Society International’s campaign to abolish animal testing for cosmetics, and could not be more proud to see the impact of #SaveRalph in leading Mexico to become the first country in North America to go cosmetics cruelty-free,” said Rosario Dawson, who provided the voice for Bonnie in the Spanish language version of the film.
Cosmetic animal testing was already banned in many parts of the world, including Colombia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, India, Israel, and Norway.
