Ohio State University AIDS Study Using Cats - Cat Lovers Call for Action

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Ohio State University AIDS Study Using Cats

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November 25, 2000

Michael Podell, an associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University, has a pet project. He is going to infect 120 cats with FIV and then inject them with methamphetamines to study the effects of meth on AIDS patients. The study will also involve a number of surgical procedures on each cat to try to correlate the effects of meth on the brain of human AIDS patients. Podell has already received a grant of $355,000 for the first year of the projected 5-year study, from The National Institute of Drug Abuse, part of The National Institute of Health (NIH). The total cost over five years is estimated at $1.68 million, and Podell is hoping that our tax dollars will pay for it.

Surprisingly enough, along with animal lovers, even AIDS activists are stunned by this inhumane waste of money. Julio Abreu, a spokesman for AIDS action, considers a grant for this purpose as wasting valuable resources. "We would support all research that aims to find a cure, that aims to find a better vaccine," he says. "But if this is to establish a control study it seems redundant. In an era where there is still no cure and no vaccine, I'd hate for any precious resources to be misguided."

Peter Wood of PETA echoes my own thoughts: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that meth use will have an adverse effect on your body so the disease will be promoted more vigorously," he said. "Our limited resources would be better spent on teaching people how to avoid contracting HIV or on drug prevention."

POET (Protect our Earth's Treasures) Director Robin Russell said, "FIV is not related to HIV, and that's the problem with the whole project." "They're not going to find treatment or cures for HIV patients who are taking methamphetamines."

Podell seems to think as long as the grant money is available, he might as well use it. "The NIH has a very large budget for drug abuse prevention. There's already a tremendous amount of funding for that and it's not a situation where they'd take these funds and use them for a prevention program."

Oh yes-- the study cats will be killed when Podell is through with them. This is at a school of veterinary medicine! In my opinion, there is a broad line between using cats already destined for destruction in studies intended to benefit cats and this kind of wasteful, meaningless experiment which already has a foregone conclusion. Meth is not good for AIDS patients. Duh!

Action Requested:

Sign the Online Petition

Write, phone, and/or fax the following people:

Dean Glen F. Hoffsis
College of Veterinary Medicine
101 Sission Hall
1900 Coffey Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1092
Email: hoffsis.1@osu.edu

William E. Kirwan
205 Bricker Hall
190 N. Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210-1357
Tel.: 614-292-2424
Fax: 614-292-1231
E-Mail: Kirwan1@osu.edu

Alan Leshner, Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Tel.: 301-443-6480
Fax: 301-443-8908
E-Mail: aleshner@ngmsmtp.nida.nih.gov