On April 27, 2007 Reuters published an article stating that according to WHO (the World Health Organization) at least 200,000 people die every year from cancers related to their workplaces, mainly from inhaling asbestos fibers and second-hand tobacco smoke.

The World Health Organization is a United Nations agency, and further stated that every 10th lung cancer death is related to occupational hazards, and about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at work, leading to at least 90,000 deaths each year.

(It’s hard to believe, but very true.  This is 2007, but asbestos has not been banned and is still in use here in Texas.)

The report goes on to say thousands more die each year because of leukemia from workplace exposure to benzene.

Ms. Maria Neira, WHO director of public health and environment said in a statement recently released in Geneva, “Known and preventable exposures are clearly responsible for hundreds of thousands of excess cancer cases each year.”      

NIOSH, which stands for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is holding a public meeting May 4, 2007 from 9am to 4pm at the Holiady Inn Capitol, 550 C. St. S.W. Washington, D.C. 20024.

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss and obtain comments on the draft document, “Asbestos and Other Mineral Fibers a Roadmap for Scientific Research.”   Special emphasis will be placed on discussion of the following:

1) Whether the hazard identification and discussion of health effects for asbestos and mineral fibers reasonably reflect the current scientific literature understanding.

2)  Appropriateness and relevancy of the discussion of the current understanding of the analytical issues and research for analysis of asbestos and mineral fibers.

3)  Appropriateness and relevancy of the discussion of the current understanding of the epidemiological issues and the needs for understanding the health effects of asbestos and mineral fibers.

4)   Appropriateness and relevancy of the discussion of the current understanding of the toxicological issues and the research needs for understanding the health effects of asbestos and mineral fibers.

5)  Appropriateness and relevancy of the discussion of the path forward and whether the ultimate vision is  reasonable for the proposed research strategy for asbestos and mineral fibers. 

Persons wanting to attend and provide oral comments at the meeting are to notify Ms. Diane Miller (ph. 513-533-8450) no later than May 1, 2007.  (NIOSH indicates that oral comments will be limited to 15 minutes).   

You can be sure that big business will have people there to push their agenda, i.e. say ridiculous things like chrysotile asbestos doesn’t cause mesothelioma (when it does) or whatever else they get paid to say…

Sneaky Low Down Dirty Shame…

Seems that some defendants are up to no good again, to put it mildly, recently caught red handed at a mesothelioma trial in Beaumont, Texas using the US Chamber of Commerce and local chamber of commerces to target places they consider “judicial hellholes” handing out “newspapers” with very negative editorials on asbestos cases, mesothelioma, and asbestos victims to influence prospective jurors as well as court staff and personnel.  

Tort Reformers in action and at work, no?   Very scary indeed. 

These defendants even use chamber “reporters” as agents for the Defendants to the litigation to illegally ask questions to the Plaintiff and the Plaintiff’s family.