17:00 - 19:30, International Conference Hall
Plenary Session 3
Empowerment of Victims and Their Families
Chairs: Natori Yuji and Annie Debaud-Mony
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James Fite
National Secretary, White Lung Association (WLC), the U.S.A
ABSTRACT:
Those who have been victimized by asbestos exposure are those who lived or worked around asbestos without knowing of its presence or danger. This grouping, through their desire for compensation and for justice, is the engine which pulls this public health question through world society.The author lists over a dozen contributions to world public health which have been made by asbestos victims. Asbestos is a very cheap product to use if the entire social cost is not known. When the social cost is fully known asbestos is a very expensive product to use. The asbestos victims have illustrated the hidden social costs in many different ways and therefore deserve the support of the general public and particularly the public and environmental health officials.