Although asbestos is strictly regulated in the U.S., it is not banned. The same is true for countries like Canada, China, India, Mexico, and Russia. In fact, of the more than 250 countries, territories, colonies, and dependencies around the world, just 59 have bans on all types of asbestos. The reasons most countries have not passed laws that completely ban asbestos are unclear, but because of its continued use, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized asbestos as one of the most important occupational carcinogens in the world. The organization also says the burden of asbestos-related disease is rising.
WHO reports that as many as 43,000 people worldwide die from asbestos-related disease each year, with around 10,000 new mesothelioma cases reported annually in Australia, Japan, North America, and Western Europe combined. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that during 1999–2015, a total of 45,221 malignant mesothelioma deaths were reported, increasing from 2,479 (1999) to 2,597 (2015). Says the CDC, “continuing occurrence of malignant mesothelioma deaths in persons aged <55 years suggests ongoing inhalation exposure to asbestos fibers and possibly other causative elongate mineral particles (EMPs).”
The CDC also explains that despite past projections, the number of malignant mesothelioma deaths has been increasing. “The continuing occurrence of mesothelioma deaths particularly among younger populations,” says the CDC “underscores the need for maintaining efforts to prevent exposure and for ongoing surveillance to monitor temporal trends.”
The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has compiled a list of countries that have banned the use of all types of asbestos. Check the list below to find out if your country has banned the use of all types of asbestos. The IBAS list is current as of February 18, 2017.
National Asbestos Bans
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Brunei
Bulgaria
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Gabon
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Seychelles
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UK
Uruguay
Sources
"Bulletin of the World Health Organization." WHO. World Health Organization (WHO), 13 June 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
"Countries of the World." Fact Monster. Sandbox Networks, Inc., Publishing as Fact Monster, 2000-2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
Kazan-Allen, Laurie. "Current Asbestos Bans and Restrictions." International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. IBAS, 18 Feb. 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
"Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 02 Mar. 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
