Although there is much that could be said concerning the Collegium Ramazzini's exaggerations of the hazards of asbestos,1 the most significant matter to be rebutted is the statement in the penultimate paragraph that indicates that the Collegium Ramazzini receives no support from trial lawyers. This may be true now, but it was not the case in 1991. The plaintiffs' executive committee in the School Asbestos Litigation case provided a cheque for US$50 000 (from the settlement fund) to the late Irwin J. Selikoff, the founder of the Collegium, to pay, in part, for a conference on the dangers of asbestos (the “Third Wave Conference”) convened by the Collegium and attended by 15 US judges, several of whom had been handling asbestos matters.2 A further US$22 500 came from private donations, including donations from members of the plantiffs' executive committee.3
Signatures
Dildar Ahmad
Internist London Health Sciences Centre London, Ont.
William K.C. Morgan
Respirologist (retired) London, Ont.
References
- 1.LaDou J, Landrigan P, Bailar JC III, Foa V, Frank A, on behalf of the Collegium Ramazzini. A call for an international ban on asbestos [editorial]. CMAJ 2001;164(4):489-90. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.In re School Asbestos Litigation. 977 F.2d 764 (3rd Cir. 1992). p. 779-80.
- 3.Kelly JM. Memorandum of the United States District Court of Pennsylvania. Master file no 83-0268. 1991 June 17. p. 1-9.