—Dr. Annie Leprince, National Research and Safety Institute in France“...Approximately 100,000 people die every year from asbestos–related illnesses.”
Banning Asbestos, a Global Responsibility According to International Health Experts
MOSCOW, RUSSIA — February 20, 2008 — International health experts pressed for the global ban of asbestos during the first World Social Security Forum held in Moscow, Russia. The Forum was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Social Development and other Russian Federation members of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) at ISSA’s 29th General Assembly. Despite protests from the Russian hosts, the ISSA’s Special Commission on Prevention called on all countries to ban the manufacture, trade and use of all types of asbestos and asbestos–containing products. Asbestos is known for its fire resistant properties but its fibers cause severe, debilitating diseases such as larynx and lung cancer, asbestosis, and deadly mesothelioma. It can take years, even decades after exposure to asbestos, for asbestos–related diseases to develop.
Asbestos has created an international health crisis. Although it has been banned in more than forty
countries, many countries like the United States continue to import 30 tons of asbestos per year. “Asbestos
is the source of a major humanitarian crisis on a global scale,
” said Dr. Annie Leprince from
the National Research and Safety Institute in France. (Khaleej
Times, September 12, 2007) Dr. Leprince, a medical expert on the issue, was the main speaker at the
Forum. She pointed out that approximately 100,000 people die every year from asbestos–related diseases
and referred to the mineral as a “serial killer.
” Dr. Leprince also stated that asbestos
would have a major economic impact on social security systems world–wide.
In some industrialized countries, the number of deaths related to asbestos exposure is higher than any other work–related deaths. Countries that continue to manufacture and/or use asbestos will pay a high price in the future due to the economic impact asbestos–related health issues will inevitably have on their economies.
Russia is currently the top producer of asbestos, representing about 40% of the world’s production.
A representative from Russia, spoke out against the ban saying that up to 500,000 employees would lose
their jobs as a consequence. Yevgeny Kovalevsky, a scientist from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences,
downplayed the deadly nature of asbestos when he stated, “... for the general population, there
aren’t significant risks ... I haven’t seen a single scientific study that shows the need
for a ban.
” (AFP,
September 12, 2007)
Russian representatives also minimized the dangers of chrysotile or “white asbestos,” a
type of asbestos fiber mined in Russia. “It’s just a PR campaign when they say that asbestos
can kill,
” said Viktor Ivanov, head of the Chrysotile Association, an industry group based
in the Russian town of Asbest, in the Ural mountains region. (AFP,
September 12, 2007).
However, a report
by the ISSA Special Prevention Commission contradicted the Russian position stating that “...
the international scientific community has reached a clear consensus, based on numerous toxicological
and epidemiological studies, that all types of asbestos are carcinogenic, even in small doses: there
is no such thing as ‘good asbestos.’
” The report addresses the dangers of chrysotile,
and includes a study by the World Health Organization that proves carcinogenic properties do exist
in chrysotile.
The Ban of Asbestos in the United States
Recently, the US Senate unanimously voted to pass The Ban Asbestos in America Act, an encouraging step toward banning the sale or use of asbestos in the United States. Democratic Senator Patty Murray from Washington pushed to get the measure through for more than six years. Activists fighting to ban asbestos hailed the vote as a victory, although others felt the ban did not go far enough as it still permits limited use of asbestos.
Asbestos is in the process of being eliminated around the world, and many countries have found substitutes for asbestos. Although some of these substitutes may be more expensive, the cost of continued asbestos use not only destroys people’s lives but ultimately may impact the economic future of the country in which they live. Unknowingly, many innocent people suffer occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos. Asbestos affects mechanics, shipbuilders, construction workers, their families and people from all walks of life. Thousands of asbestos–related deaths occur every year that could have been prevented by banning the importation and use of asbestos.
Brayton Purcell Supports an Asbestos Ban
The mesothelioma and asbestos attorneys at Brayton Purcell have been fighting for the legal rights of asbestos victims for over 24 years. We support the Ban Asbestos in America Act as well as a global ban on asbestos. If you have been exposed to asbestos and developed an asbestos–related disease, we provide a free evaluation of your potential case. Please contact us through this website or by calling our toll–free phone number, 1–866–809–5240. We will provide a free evaluation of your potential case if you have been exposed to asbestos and think you may have developed an asbestos–related disease.