by Laurie Kazan-Allen
A paper published some weeks ago in the American Journal of Public Heath detailed the commercial strategy deployed during the 20th century by US vested interests to control the national asbestos debate and forestall regulations which would adversely affect sales of asbestos-containing materials.1 Reflecting on the deadly impact of their lobbying efforts, Matthew Swetonic, the first executive director of the Asbestos Information Association/North America (AIA/NA), noted that:
“During a relatively short period of time from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s, the ‘magic mineral’ was exposed for what it really was – probably the most hazardous industrial material ever unleashed on an unsuspecting world.”
Although domestic sales dramatically decreased, the use of asbestos remains legal in the US and the AIA/NA continues to collaborate with others to sell asbestos around the world. Read more
Courtesy: IBAS
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