Asbestos News
Doctors call on Canadian MP, surgeon to ban asbestos
A large group of doctors in Canada recently wrote to Conservative member of parliament and orthopedic surgeon Kellie Leitch to help ban asbestos.Canada is one of few Western nations that still actively participates in the asbestos trade, mining and exporting the carcinogenic mineral to the developing world. This practice has created considerable controversy in the country, and spurred more than 200 doctors to write to Leitch, according to the Montreal Gazette.
"The pro-asbestos position that you are presently supporting is the policy of the asbestos industry's lobby organization (the Chrysotile Institute)... It pretends that chrysotile asbestos is a wonderful product that can be safely used in developing countries," reads the open letter.
In addition, the letter calls for Leitch to put aside political interests and work for the ban of the substance that has been known for decades to cause serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
Despite these proven risks, Canada has considered allowing the Jeffrey asbestos mine in the town of Asbestos, Quebec, to re-open, much to the dismay of the worldwide medical community.
8/19/11
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