HASWhen the Paris Criminal Court invalidated on May 19, 2023 the request made by 1,800 victims to obtain the holding of a criminal trial to identify and convict the culprits of asbestos, the authorization of glyphosate has just been be extended for ten years by the European Union (EU). There are many similarities between the health drama of asbestos and that of pesticides. We, responsible for mutual health insurance, call for action with determination for the right to health and the preservation of our social protection system.
We, mutualists, acted in the 20e century to stop the poisoning of workers exposed to asbestos. We defended the victims so that they could obtain reparation. The toxicity of asbestos was identified in 1906, but it was not until 1997 that it was banned in France. This represents almost a century of political renunciation of ever-increasing scientific publications, thousands of deaths – in total more than one hundred thousand – and cynical lobbying by industrialists.
Collective blindness
The latter made it possible to believe that controlled use of this toxic mineral was possible and thus pushed back the ban. This avoidable health disaster is detailed in the Senate report “ The asbestos drama in France: understanding, repairing better, learning lessons for the future », published in 2005.
Almost twenty years after the publication of this report, while it clearly states the intention to “ learn lessons for the future » of the asbestos drama, we are launching an appeal: let us stop repeating with pesticides the mistakes that caused the death of more than a hundred thousand people poisoned by asbestos.
What are the common causes behind asbestos and pesticide tragedies? First of all, the initial fascination contributed to a collective blindness. Asbestos has long been presented as a magical mineral due to its numerous properties (insulating, fire-resistant, resistant, rot-proof, etc.). This same bias was present with pesticides at the start of their massive use. As he wrote [la biologiste et écologiste américaine] Rachel Carson (1907-1964): “ Chemical herbicides are nice new toys; their effects are spectacular; they give whoever uses them the stunning impression of ruling nature. »
Another common point: the lack of transparency from asbestos and pesticide manufacturers, who knew that their products kill. For example, “In 1943, asbestos manufacturers entrusted an initial experimental study on asbestos pathologies to an American laboratory: 80% of the mice tested developed lung cancer. The results of this study will remain secret”recalls the Senate report.
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