Sir

Your Opinion article “Promoting animal research” (Nature 420, 447; 200210.1038/420447b) delivers a much-needed message.

Ten years ago, I volunteered to join a National Institutes of Health programme to educate young people about the need for intact animals in biomedical research. Local high schools and colleges were sufficiently receptive to encourage me to continue.

In the past four or five years, however, my approach to the education authorities has fallen on deaf ears, although all of the teachers, and many of the students, voiced praise for the programme early on. One teacher told me that they did not want to run into problems with animal activists by allowing me to speak. Most of the population is disappointingly uneducated about science and a significant percentage is anti-science.

Next month, I will send approximately 30 letters to local colleges and high schools in an attempt to rekindle the interest. I believe that major biomedical and medical societies, and journals, should constantly urge an educational campaign to deliver our message to the public.

People like myself are very willing to volunteer to speak, design handouts, and so on, but a central focus group is needed.