http://www.theglobeandmail.com/…/imports-o…/article23675154/
Since the whole story began money was the engine to drive Asbestos then greed and then a disregard of people’s lives when they found out that it did kill people. How can they live with themselves
Their money must numb feelings or respect for life. Its a sad story that will never end.
Despite rising fears of asbestos-related illnesses, imports of products containing asbestos show little sign of slowing.
According to Statistics Canada figures, imports of asbestos-related items rose to $6-million last year from $4.9-million in 2013. The bulk of these goods consisted of asbestos brake linings and pads, which hit $3.6-million in imports in 2014, a seven-year high. Other imports included raw asbestos, friction materials and some items containing crocidolite, which is considered the most dangerous form of asbestos.
The dollar amounts may not seem like a lot of money given Canada’s overall trade, but in terms of brake pads that translates into hundreds of thousands entering the Canadian market each year. The World Health Organization and other agencies have said that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic and the best way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop using it.
Asbestos is by far the top on-the-job killer in Canada, accounting for almost 5,000 death claims since 1996. Many victims die of mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, though it may take 20 to 50 years after exposures to materialize. And yet Canada continues to allow imports and exports of asbestos, unlike other dozens of countries such as Australia, Japan, Sweden and Britain, which have imposed a ban.
Local campaigner to fund first ever mesothelioma specialist nurse in North East
Local charity the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund (MKMRF) – part of the British Lung Foundation – is to fund the first ever Mesothelioma UK clinical nurse specialist in the North East.
MKMRF, working in partnership with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, has appointed Leah Taylor to the role. She will be in post for an initial two years and will be available to offer support to people diagnosed with mesothelioma in the North East, one of the worst affected areas in the UK.
Leah, who has had considerable experience caring for patients with mesothelioma during her 20-year nursing career, will treat patients in Northumberland and North Tyneside and work with other regional teams to improve access to support groups, treatments and information. As nurse lead for mesothelioma, she will also be responsible for ensuring mesothelioma issues are raised regionally.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos. It has a very poor prognosis – most patients will die within months of their diagnosis and fewer than one in ten will survive three years. Mesothelioma nurses perform the invaluable role of providing care and guidance to patients, allowing them to have access to specialist care and information about this devastating disease. There are currently only six mesothelioma clinical nurse specialists in the country.
Chris Knighton MBE, founded the MKMRF in memory of her husband, Mick, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in August 2000 at North Tyneside hospital. He died seven months later. At the time there was no information or support.
Leah Taylor, mesothelioma clinical nurse specialist in the North East who is based at North Tyneside General Hospital, said: “Having a mesothelioma nurse specialist for people affected by this terrible disease in the North East has the potential to significantly transform the care people receive here. For many people the prognosis is very poor however with the right support, care and access to information about new research and treatments, quality of life for people diagnosed with this disease and their families can be greatly improved.
“I am honoured to be a part of this new chapter in mesothelioma care and I look forward to working with Mesothelioma UK, the MKMRF and the British Lung Foundation – to provide the much-needed support for these families.”
Chris Knighton, founder of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, said: “I realised the desperate need for more support for people with mesothelioma after Mick was diagnosed in 2000. We had no idea what this cancer was, we were simply told he had six months to live and to go and spend quality time together.
“Having a mesothelioma nurse available means that other families won’t have to go through what we did. We still have a long way to go in terms of improving mesothelioma care in this country but I see this as a significant victory for patients in the North East and I know that Mick would be so proud.”
Most people know that asbestos can be dangerous. So nobody expects to find it in part of a Halloween costume.
But asbestos is exactly what Utah lab technician Steve Dixon of Dixon Information claims he discovered after testing a gas mask he bought for his grandson’s Halloween costume at an army surplus store, according to a report from KUTV of Salt Lake City.
The CBS television station reported last week that the Russian GP5 mask purchased by Dixon and tested by him was found to have 7.5% asbestos in the filter cartridge. The Russian gas mask is sold in army surplus stores and it is a popular item for Halloween costumes. Four other laboratories tested the mask and confirmed Dixon’s finding.
Asbestos is a mineral that was once commonly used in construction materials and consumer goods to increase durability and fire resistance. However, asbestos is now known to be a serious threat to human health. Asbestos-related illnesses include lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that attacks the cells lining the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
Military gas masks have been made with asbestos in the past. During World War II, many were made with filter pads that contained asbestos, which was considered a good filtering material. Unfortunately, workers who manufactured the masks as well as soldiers who wore them were exposed to the toxic material. Many developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
KUTV contacted several army surplus stores which had sold out of the Russian GP5 mask and were unaware that it contained asbestos. Trick-or-treaters who purchased the masks as part of their costumes are advised not to use them.
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