Asbestos Legislation

A number of Vancouver residents, from politicians to comedians, are reportedly leading the charge to ban asbestos in Canada, according to the Georgia Straight.

The news source reports that some local artists and comedians are attempting to generate awareness of the asbestos situation through a campaign titled CanadaCausesCancer.com. The organization is reportedly asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to back a June 20 United Nations vote that would ban chrysotile asbestos.

"Mr. Harper's stance on asbestos is morally bankrupt. Hypocrisy this blatant would be hilarious if it weren’t also deadly," comedian Sean Devlin said in a release.

In addition to the group of artists and comedians, Canadian Labor Congress president Ken Georgetti recently testified to the International Labor Organization in Geneva, urging the ban of asbestos production and export, according to the news source.

Exposure to asbestos has been proven to cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. Such diseases kill approximately 107,000 people around the world each year, estimates the World Health Organization.