Canadian Cancer Society Calls for Asbestos Ban

Montreal – The Canadian Cancer Society is calling on the government to ban the consumption and exportation of asbestos.

Though Canada limits the use of asbestos in domestic applications, Quebec’s lucrative chrysotile mining industry continues to operate.

The group issued a statement asking government leaders to develop a plan that will permanently ban the use of asbestos.

The group’s announcement drew strong criticism from advocates for Canada’s asbestos industry who argued that chrysotile is safer than other forms of asbestos. However the group contends that no safe form of asbestos exists.

Asbestos exposure can lead to chronic and often fatal diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 90,000 people die every year from asbestos exposure with the majority of deaths occurring in developing nations.

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, almost one-third of the 1,097 workplace deaths in 2005 could be attributed to asbestos.

In the United States, a bill to permanently ban asbestos within the country passed a Senate subcommittee and could be voted on as early as this fall.