Prime Minister Gordon Brown Supports Asbestos Campaigners

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, has recently pledged to solve the asbestos crisis in schools after losing a close friend to mesothelioma. Brown has met with campaigners, MP’s and teachers unions to work toward a solution for the issue.

It is reported that every nine out of ten schools in the UK contain the deadly carcinogen that causes a number of illnesses including asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. The disease is responsible for the death of the prime minister’s friend, Scottish MP John MacDougall who passed away last year.

Asbestos related illnesses, which do not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos, is said to be the cause of 178 teacher deaths between 1980 and 2005. The teachers are glad to hear that the Prime Minister is supporting the issue and one teaching union official commented, “The impression we got is the PM is addressing this from personal commitment. He recognizes the seriousness of the issue. In the next few months you’ll see concrete proposals.”

Around 2,000 people are diagnosed with an asbestos related illness annually in the United States. While the natural occurring mineral has strict regulations on its use today, many older buildings and structures still contain the carcinogen. Inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers is the cause of future illnesses so safety measures must be taken when working with and around asbestos.

Source: http://www.bloggernews.net/120928