ASBESTOS AND PUBLIC-HEALTH - REASONS BEHIND THE INEXTRICABLE SITUATION

Another public health crisis: Coming into public view after the AIDS t ransfusion and the mad cow crises, asbestos-related health risks have provoked an atmosphere of panic incompatible with calmly planned publi c: health prevention programs. The avalanche of passionate reactions h as led to an inextricable dead-end situation. Scapegoats: Faultfinders have accused a long list of scapegoats-scientists, physicians, expert s, public health officials, industrial leaders and the medias-bu court actions do not favor rigorous analysis of health safety dispositions. What is needed is a pondered examination of the sinister chain of eve nts which has made such a wasteful situation possible. Meeting public demands: Prohibiting asbestos cannot solve the problem once and for al l. Asbestos removal programs must be conducted in terms of a solid ris k/benefit analysis and more generally, management of environment-relat ed health risks must be based on specific and credible measures, Witho ut a real rehabilitation of environmental medicine, there is a genuine risk of seeing crisis situations override public health decision maki ng. (C) 1998, Masson, Paris.