The University of Bristol and the University of Bath in the UK have recently banned the controversial "forced swim test" on mice and rats after pressure from animal protection advocates. This test, also known as the "drowning test", involved placing rodents in water to measure their struggle before floating, claiming to assess the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. However, critics argue that the test is cruel, scientifically invalid, and does not accurately reflect human mental health conditions.


Groups like Animal Free Research UK and PETA campaigned against the forced swim test, highlighting its cruelty and lack of scientific validity. The universities' decisions to ban the test follow similar moves at other institutions worldwide, as the scientific community shifts towards more humane and effective research methods that do not rely on animal suffering. The focus is now on promoting human-based studies and advanced technologies to replace outdated and harmful animal tests.