In March, leading Canadian researchers submitted a report to the government on the cancer risks linked to asbestos.  Upon submitting the document, they were told the report would be available to the public within weeks.  Months later, it remains unreleased.  

Two of the researchers have written letters criticizing the government's delay.   Health Minister Tony Clement's office claims report will be made public once his officials have reviewed it. "It is simply unacceptable for this report to continue to be withheld from the public, while individuals who have seen the report and our comments make erroneous allegations about what it contains to suit their political objectives," wrote one of the researchers.

Canada is the only developed nation still producing asbestos; they sell the material to developing countries like Indonesia and Pakistan. The study takes no official position on an asbestos ban, but it clearly delineates the causality between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. On the side, one researcher stated that safe use of asbestos is "simply not possible."

Quebec, which contains Canada's two asbestos mines, has one of the highest mesothelioma rates in the world. Click here to learn more.