if scientists are sellinbg out why get sex workers involved I object to the use oof the word "prostitute" Bobby Kunhu http://community.eldis.org/myshkin/Blog/
2009/12/19 Gopal Krishna <[email protected]> > For Immediate Release > ** > *White Asbestos Industry & ‘Prostitute’ Scientists Rebuked * > * > > Health Experts, Labour Ministry & Delhi Govt Express Grave Concern about > Asbestos Diseases > Misleading Advertorials of Industry Disapproved > * > > New Delhi/19/12/2009: The commercial tactics of the asbestos industry are > very similar to those of the tobacco industry. > At a Global Conference presentation after presentation environmental and > occupational health experts from some 15 countries called for elimination of > the burden of disease and death that is caused worldwide by exposure to > asbestos. All forms of asbestos including white asbestos (chrysotile > asbestos) are occupational and environmental hazards of catastrophic > proportions. The profound tragedy of the asbestos epidemic is that all > illnesses and deaths related to asbestos are entirely preventable. > > Collegium Ramazzini based in Italy and one of the co-organizers of the > conference has stated that safer substitutes for asbestos exist, and they > have been introduced successfully in many countries. The grave hazards of > exposure to asbestos and the availability of some safer substitute materials > have led a growing number of countries to stop trade in asbestos. > > Experts took note of the advertorial by the Asbestos Cement Products > Manufacturer's Association published in a newspaper (attached relevant ad of > The Times of India, 17 December, 2009), which coincided with the > inauguration of the conference and debunked the misleading claims and > disapproved the attempts by the industry to hide behind government agencies > like Directorate General, Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes > (DGFASLI), which took note of Prevalence of Assbestosis and Related > Disorders in a Asbestos Fiber Processing Unit in West Bengal as early as in > 1996. > (http://www.dgfasli.nic.in/newsletter/jan_march_96.pdf) > > Officials from the Labour Ministry who were present at the conference > joined Prof Arthur Frank and Dr Barry Castleman, both well known asbestos > experts in dismissing industry references to absence of asbestos diseases in > India as junk science. Besides courts, Press Council of India and > Advertising Standards Council of India should take suo motto notice of such > manifestly misleading advertisements which refer to poison as non-poison. > Newspapers should be wary of such irresponsible and immoral advertising. > > Scientists at the conference noted that the health consequences of the use > of asbestos in contemporary industrial society have been amply documented in > the international scientific literature. The toll of illness and death among > asbestos workers in mining, construction and heavy industry is well known. > The risks from toxic exposures affect not only those who work with asbestos, > but also their families and neighbours (from material on clothing or plant > emissions), users of products that contain asbestos and the public at large. > > All forms of asbestos cause asbestosis, a progressive, fibrotic disease of > the lungs. They can all cause lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Debdas > Mukerjee from US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted that Asbestos > has been declared a proven human carcinogen and scientists who say anything > to the contrary are like prostitutes because they manufacture scientific > study to endorse unethical industry interests. International Agency for > Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization and ILO has also called > for elimination of asbestos of all forms. The preponderence of scientific > evidence to date demonstrates that chrysotile (white asbestos) also causes > cancer, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Russian and > Canadian chrysotile is associated with mesotheliomas and lung cancers. > > The experts repeatedly urged government of India to harbour no illusions > about the “controlled use” of asbestos because there is no realistic > alternative to a ban. Moreover, even the best workplace controls cannot > prevent occupational and environmental exposures to products in use or to > waste. The trend of alarming rise in the consumption of asbestos in India > in hospitals, schools, homes and commercial buildings now resemble those > that existed in the industrialized countries before the dangers of asbestos > were widely recognized. > > The conference entitled "Preventing Emerging Occupational and Environmental > Risks in South Asia and Beyond" was organized by Centre for Occupational & > Environmental Health (New Delhi), Collegium Ramazzini (Italy), and Drexel > University, School of Public Health, Philadelphia, supported by Union > Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, and WHO, SEARO at > capital’s Maulana Azad Medical College. > > Katja Radon from Germany informed that the social system in Germany are > geared to provide pension to asbestos victims and their families besides > compensation and the public health system provides universal coverage. > Takehiko Murayama from Japan provided a historical review of asbestos > industrialization, hazard identification and legal measures and Andrew > Watterson from UK asked Indian public health experts, trade unions and civil > society organizations to be part of a Global Occupational Cancer Prevention > Campaign. Efforts to Ban Asbestos and Promote Safer Substitutes for Asbestos > Products: Barry Castleman, USA. Hemantha D. Wickramatillake from Sri Lanka > underlined a need for a South Asian Forum for Occupational and Environmental > Health Researchers. > > The grave health hazards of asbestos are entirely preventable. The health > risks of asbestos exposure are unacceptable. Indian health experts and > officials admitted the almost complete absence of occupational and > environmental health infrastructure and the cancer registry of the country > of does not record occupational cancers. > > For Details: Gopal Krishna, Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), Mb: > 9818089660, E-mail: [email protected] > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Green Youth Movement" group. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<greenyouth%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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