MesotheliomaWeb.Org: Asbestos Industry Lobbying Succeeds
MesotheliomaWeb.Org is a helpful source for the latest news stories on mesothelioma and other lung illnesses associated with asbestos exposure. MesotheliomaWeb.Org provides useful news articles for patients and their families impacted by mesothelioma and other serious respiratory diseases. Mesothelioma is a severe form of malignant cancer that changes the cells of the pleural mesothelium, a ring of tissue that surrounds the lungs. MesotheliomaWeb.Org presents readers the most topical reports on scientific research efforts, recent advances in treatment, and breakthroughs on dealing with this difficult disease.
The worldwide lobby for the asbestos industry continues to market its dangerous product, in spite of established scientific evidence that asbestos is a major carcinogen and that exposure to the mineral contributes to the incidence of other deadly diseases. Over the last few decades, most people have learned about the effects of asbestos. The mineral fibers form an alarming toxic substance, often applied in insulation and construction, which causes those workers exposed to it to develop mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses.
More than fifty countries have banned the use of asbestos due to the danger it poses to workers and their families. However, an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity found that lobbyists for the asbestos industry have spent more than $100 million to keep the market for the dangerous mineral open. Most of the client states that still use asbestos are among the poorest nations in the world, including India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, and do not have adequate standards for worker safety.
The marketing reach of the asbestos industry has spread across the globe. In rural areas of India, asbestos is in heavy use for many applications. In Brazil, a government health and safety inspector has been waging a war against the industry for over twenty years. In Russia, asbestos mines produce nearly a million tons of the deadly mineral each year. China, with its expanding population and booming economy, is quickly becoming the largest consumer of asbestos.
Jukka Takala, director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, blames the “totally unethical” actions of the asbestos industry for the increased incidence of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. “It’s almost criminal. Asbestos cannot be used safely,” Director Takala told the news media, reported by Planetsave.com.
The marketing approach of the asbestos industry has reminded some observers of other big-business lobbies that have created health problems for workers and customers, such as the tobacco and petrochemical industries.
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