Submissions on the Animal Welfare Amendment (AWA) Bill are now open. Labour MP Trevor Mallard has proposed an amendment that will stop animal testing of legal highs.

This amendment has gone to the Primary Production Select Committee to be considered for inclusion in the AWA Bill. For more on the proposed amendment please go here.

Making a submission to the select committee is the best way to let the government know what we think of legislation and to have input on what it looks like. Everyone who thinks that animals shouldn't be used in tests to allow legal highs onto the market needs to make a submission.

You have until Friday, 4 October 2013 to make a submission to the select committee asking that no animals be used for legal high testing. You may also want to make a submission on other parts of the Bill - there is nothing to stop you making another submission as well as one in support of  the amendment to stop animal testing of legal highs.    

There are several ways you can make a submission:  

1 - Make a submission online This is a quick and easy way to have your say. You can keep the submission as long or as short as you like. Submissions written in your own words that describe how you feel about the issue have an impact on MPs considering the issue. Remember - be clear, concise and polite. Go to the online submission page (action now closed; other ways you can support us here) and scroll down to enter the verification.  

2 - Send an online form submission via the Labour Party To go to the online form submission click here (action now closed; other ways you can support us here). This is the simplest option - it is ideal for people who want to quickly put their name to a submission. It can only take a matter of seconds of your time and adds your voice to the call to stop animal testing of legal highs! Even better though - take the time to edit the suggested submission and write in your own words why no animal testing of legal highs should be allowed.  

3 - Send in a written submission we have prepared Print out the pdf file, sign it and submit it by post. There's space included for you to add more if you wish to, and please do - your personal thoughts can make a real difference to the submission. Feel free to print out copies for your friends, family and colleagues to complete! The select committee needs two copies of written submissions. You will need to make a second copy and send them both to the Committee Secretariat at the address below. Committee Secretariat / Primary Production / Parliament Buildings / Wellington   (stamp required - please post by 4 Oct 2013)  

4 - Send in your own written submission You can write your own submission in your own words. Information on how to do this is on the parliament website. They also have a short guide to making a written submission available here as a pdf. This is a very effective way to have input on what the legislation will look like.   What to include in the submission Ask that the select committee include Supplementary Order Paper 341 in the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. This would add a clause banning the use of animals for research and testing for the purposes of the Psychoactive Substances Act. Your name and a contact (email/postal address etc.). Include this on a cover letter if you don't want these details made public. If you want to make an oral submission to the select committee in person say so - making an oral submission is a great way of reinforcing your view with the select committee . Follow this with why you want animal testing of legal highs to be banned - in a clear, concise and polite manner.  

Some points you may like to make:

- There is no need for animal tests to be carried out

- There are multiple validated tests available that can be used to make up a test battery to allow the required human trials

- New Zealand laws need to reflect what the New Zealand public want

- The huge outcry and every opinion poll done on the issue have shown that the vast majority of New Zealanders do not want any animal testing of legal highs to happen

- Restricting the types of tests available to the drug manufacturers to gain approvals to sell legal highs will not increase the risk to consumers.

They will still have to meet the same standards of 'low risk' set by the government. - Causing pain and death to animals for the sake of approving the sale of a legal high is unethical and morally wrong. It is not something the government should condone and allow.