Asbestos News
Former Canadian Conservative politician urges asbestos action
A former Conservative cabinet member has urged Canada to join the rest of the developed world in declaring asbestos a carcinogen.Chuck Strahl retired from politics in May and has spent some of his time since urging his former colleagues to acknowledge the serious health consequences that asbestos poses, according to the Vancouver Sun.
Strahl is all too aware of the deadly risks that asbestos pose. A former logging contractor, he has lung cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure.
Lung cancer is just one of a number of diseases connected to asbestos, as others include asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer.
"The prime minister and Quebec's regional minister have both said that they support the safe use of chrysotile asbestos. It's hard to argue with that. By listing chrysotile in the Rotterdam Convention as a product that deserves to be handled carefully and with proper warnings, safe use is more likely to occur," Strahl wrote in the Globe and Mail.
The World Health Organization estimates that asbestos-related diseases claim the lives of 107,000 people each year around the world.
6/21/11
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