New Zealand should ban the import of goods containing deadly asbestos, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Speaking after it was revealed that Chinese-built Great Wall and Chery cars contain a number of asbestos parts, editor Clive Matthew-Wilson said:
“The health risks of asbestos were discovered 114 years ago, but New Zealand still allows goods made with asbestos to be freely imported.”
Although the importation of raw asbestos has been banned since 1984, manufactured products containing asbestos can still be legally bought into New Zealand.
By comparison, Australia has had a total ban on most asbestos products since 2004.
Asbestos dust causes deadly lung diseases, including cancer. In the motor industry, asbestos used to be commonly used in engine gaskets, clutches and brake parts, but most manufacturers phased out its use years ago. However, asbestos often kills people many years after they are exposed to it. An estimated 10,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases in the United States alone, making asbestos more deadly than skin cancer.
Matthew-Wilson is scathing about the New Zealand government’s lack of action on the asbestos issue.
“Countless car workers have died young due to asbestos exposure. It’s time New Zealand followed Australia’s example and banned these products outright.”
Although Ateco Automotive – the importer of Great Wall and Chery vehicles – has agreed to stop selling spare parts containing asbestos, it has refused to recall existing cars for replacement of asbestos-based parts that are already fitted. Instead, Ateco is arranging for warning stickers to be placed in the engine bays of affected vehicles.
Matthew-Wilson says Ateco’s response is a totally inadequate.
“If we were talking about vehicles fitted with radioactive car parts, the government would probably act immediately. However, the fact remains that far more people are known to have died from asbestos exposure than radiation exposure. Why they double standard?”
