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October 3rd, 2004
With the asbestos death count still rising in America and across the world, it seems that officials and government are still unsure as to the best way to handle the crisis, which is still set to reach epidemic proportions over the next decade or two.
Asbestos exposure has already resulted in countless deaths, and these are still steadily rising. Asbestos was widely used up until the 1980s, and many workers were oblivious to its dangers, thinking nothing of breathing in the deadly fibers. Even after retirement, many workers were unaware of the ill-effects. However, asbestos exposure leads to a cancer that can take several decades to manifest, and this is why it is only now that many retired workers are realizing that they were sentenced to death when they worked with this substance.
Over the past year, the main emphasis from congress in the US seems to have been on the setting up of a trust fund. However, this bill has already failed once and is now being discussed again. The American Trial Lawyers Association has stated that a trust fund is simply an easy solution for companies that covered up the dangers of asbestos and put their workers at risk for many years.
The solution to this problem looks to be a long way off, and it remains to be seen if and when the government put forward a plan that suits victims rather than one that simply appears to pander to the needs of the perpetrators.
