Asbestos-related deaths may continue to rise long after 2018 ban

Despite the federal government’s decision to ban products containing asbestos by 2018, some medical experts predict the number of Canadians who die because of past exposure will continue to rise.
Every day, about five Canadians are diagnosed with cancers linked to asbestos. It can take anywhere from 20 to 40 years for exposure to asbestos to develop into the disease, which is often aggressive and, in many cases, fatal.

Over the past 100 years, thousands of Canadians are believed to have been exposed to asbestos at some point in their lives. In 2012, Canada’s last asbestos mine ceased operations. But the import of materials containing asbestos, such as construction materials, is still allowed until the 2018 ban kicks in.

Asbestos has been commonly used in building insulation, floor tiles, car brakes and even children’s modelling clay. The substance poses health risks when products containing asbestos deteriorate and fibres are released into the air and breathed in.

Lawyer Dave Curtis discovered he had mesothelioma, a cancer that can only be caused by asbestos, when he was undergoing a routine hernia repair.  “Exactly when I was exposed to what resulted in this disease or what particular product it was, I have no idea,” the Peterborough, Ont. man told CTV News.  Curtis underwent a major surgery in January to remove the cancer and some internal organs, and he has since had to go into chemotherapy.

Full article and video: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/asbestos-related-deaths-may-continue-to-rise-long-after-2018-ban-1.3205878

Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure has been linked to the development of serious respiratory diseases and cancers, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other conditions.

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