The Joint Policy Committee of the Societies of Epidemiology (JPC-SE) released a statement last week calling for a global ban on the mining, use, and export of asbestos. JPC-SE is made up of American, Canadian, and other international epidemiology organizations. The statement comes out just three weeks after the Quebec government approved a $58 million dollar loan to an asbestos mine allowing the mining of asbestos which could keep up production and exportation of the dangerous substance for 20 more years.

More than 150 public health organizations and scientists from at least 20 countries signed the statement. Dr. Stanley Weiss, chair of JPC-SE, stated, "Continued use of asbestos will lead to a public health disaster of asbestos-related illness and premature death for decades to come, repeating the epidemic we are witnessing today in industrialized countries that used asbestos in the past." The JPC-SE statement declares that if no action is taken to stop the use of asbestos, more that 100,000 people will continue to die from asbestos exposure each year.

Sources:

1. CBC News. Scientists press for global asbestos ban. CBC News | Technology & Science. (2012, July 24). Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/07/24/sci-global-asbestos-ban.html

2. Joint Policy Committee Societies of Epidemiology. Retrieved from http://www.jpc-se.org/position.htm#asbestos

3. Solyom, C. Coalition calls for global asbestos ban. Ottowa Citizen. (2012, July 25). Retrieved from http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Coalition+calls+global+asbestos/6984584/story.html