Why the Deadly Asbestos Industry is Still Alive and Well

Despite irrefutable scientific evidence calling out the dangers of asbestos, 2 million tons of the carcinogen are exported every year to the developing world, where it's often handled with little to no regulation.
For this episode of VICE Reports, correspondent Milène Larsson traveled to the world's largest asbestos mine in the eponymous town of Asbest, Russia, to meet workers whose livelihoods revolve entirely around the dangerous mineral. Surprisingly, the risks associated with asbestos mining didn't seem to worry the inhabitants; in fact, asbestos is the city's pride, celebrated with monuments, songs, and even its own museum.
Larsson then visits Libby, Montana, another mining town almost on the other side of the globe, where the effects of asbestos exposure are undeniable: 400 townspeople have died from asbestos-related diseases, and many more are slowly choking to death. Why is the deadly industry of mining and selling asbestos still alive and well?
Click here to subscribe to VICE: bit.ly/Subscrib...
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com
More videos from the VICE network: www. vic...
Like VICE on Facebook: vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: / vice
Read our Tumblr: / vicemag
Follow us on Instagram: / vice
Check out our Pinterest: / vicemag

[@moreskids]

"what's the point of being afraid?" classic russian

[@iamk4474]

More Skids good advice tho

[@bodavidson2804]

More Skids He'll probably die from liver failure first

[@AL-sd7uz]

Bo Davidson but he's russian

[@xkeepersvk]

Actualy its a good advice. No point to live life in fear.

[@Grimisnowhere]

Dont be scared, rush b

[@northide8785]

My grandad recently died of mesothelioma from working with asbestos it's a terrible way too die and I can't believe how ignorant these people are too the risks

[@tali2225]

Right These People Have To Have The Sense To Not Want To Be Around Asbestos Anymore

[@tiatokkesdal1745]

james poole As long as they aren’t scared when they’re dying it won’t hurt😂😂

[@tiatokkesdal1745]

Coy Leigh if you couldn’t understand that, I’m worried for you.

[@Vlad2319]

Money, plus unless disturbed it's actually relatively safe. I watched a documentary about the asbestos problem in the UK. Entire buildings need to be taken down, but the amount of asbestos in them makes it an expensive endeavor, as the buildings can't simply be blasted down because of the fibers. People can live in the homes and buildings as long as it hasn't started decaying. I actually had an old thermos that was completely sealed that had asbestos, when it was discovered I had bronchitis they checked for asbestos damage because our home had it. Luckily no asbestos damage, but my family kept a closer eye on it and we moved from the house.

[@f.u.c8308]

Those Russian guys would say it's his fault for "worrying"

[@bigworm5024]

"Is this stuff dangerous?" "Life is dangerous."

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

But it's natural...

[@thebidstar26]

Dynamite enters the chat

[@ProvidingSpam]

@rancid sausage woosh

[@jamalanewpizza6334]

16:50 - that takes balls to say outloud. I say alot of dumb stuff but wow this is crazy.

[@grekkoplef]

@@ProvidingSpam /ihavereddit

[@Ohwell423]

That poor old man loves his wife so much you can feel his pain.

[@stinky_thylacine1557]

I know,I just breaks my heart to see people in so much pain.

[@katrabbit]

I couldn't keep my eyes dry. That's a man who's sick and tired of watching the person he loves struggle to survive.

[@Nicomonnn]

Losing ur loved one is the worst, my mom died from cancer 3 months ago and my dad has changed so much, he used to be so happy and now u can just tell hes been thru it, cant imagine the pain of my dad, it hurts me real bad cant imagine spending almost 30 years with the girl u fall in love in and have to watch her die from fucking cancer, pos disease, wouldnt wish it on anyone

[@PunTimesWithNeil]

@TIGERWOODSBOYFRIEND what is your point? Are the neanderthals here suffering through hardship? No, we humans are. Who really is the smart ones?

[@BarnStangz]

Great doc! My old man ran an Asbestos removal company for 25 years and knows a thing or two when it comes to asbestos in homes. Very safe as long as you don't screw with it. Once it's air borne and can be inhaled, you're fuct. If dry asbestos needs to be removed it needs to be soaked down with water and then it can be removed with proper filtration on your face. It's a wild ass, cool material, but super dangerous. My father in-law died from heavy exposure....

[@babyfishmouth-sweepingnations]

I love the way you spelt fuct lol

[@Bendover-jf4bi]

bro... I'm so glad I ran into your comment... you're old man sounds like a wise man.....i gotta do some home remodeling ......and this just might be the best advice I have heard I will soak the shit out of it ...and remove it......thank you

[@babyfishmouth-sweepingnations]

@@Bendover-jf4bi do not remove this by yourself!

[@blahbleh5671]

@@babyfishmouth-sweepingnations ahaha, what I was thinking!

[@MantasVEVO]

I love that you say that asbestos is very safe as well as that your father-in-law died from it.

[@PeterBrownrigg]

"If you are not afraid, the body will heal itself!" Lol

[@iceteakilla]

+PeterBrownrigg That made me fuckin laugh man, She should have asked why they have doctors in Russia then. I guess they treat the scared lol

[@TheMiscTutorials]

+Iceteakilla lmao

[@707BossTycoon]

Words to live by

[@eduarddv00]

+PeterBrownrigg placebo effect is a real medical fact guys. look it up. positive mental attitude is always the cure.

[@iceteakilla]

Эдуард Вятчанин you must be stupid man, yea there is a small effect but you honestly think the placebo effect is great enough to cure everything? On top of that the placebo effect isnt about positive mental attitude, it has to do with studies where they swap out medicine like pills with pills that actually dont do anything medically or surgeries where they do all the same procedures mimicking what would normally be done except for making the actual repairs like for a torn acl. The placebo effect has to do with patients being given something under the idea that what they are getting is the real deal and actually does something beneficial. Plus with all of that it still is like a low percentage effect. Placebo effect doesnt even work most of the time even with all of these conditions met.

[@thepariah3516]

I feel so bad for the lady who says she misses fishing and being outdoors, imagine having to be stuck at home for the rest of your life for fear of suffocating. At least she's a trooper about it, I admire her spirit.

[@mckenzienorton7473]

That was my grandma and it was the worst thing ever watching her go through pain everyday she passed away in May of 2016 because of this and the only way I can hear her voice is to watch this video

[@tooturnttomato]

@@mckenzienorton7473 I'm so sorry for your loss 🖤😞

[@santerilehtonen2028]

Sorry for your grandma but she also looked to have a BMI of 40+ why she should have been left out of this scientific documentary. By losing weight she could have had a major impact on her asidosis. As most obese people she did not have the self disciplene to try her best to make her healthier. Not saying she did not suffer from asbestosis, but should have been left out of this documentary. R.I.P.

[@fawnieee]

​@@santerilehtonen2028 BMI is incredibly unreliable, especially for women. BMI was based off of yt adult men and didn't include the differences between women and men, at the height of my chronic illness and almost unaliveing I was 43kg at 5ft10 and was told I was a healthy weight by Drs because the BMI chart said I was healthy and not skin and bones.

[@Irreverent_bob]

Cmon, Russia’s been through some seriously difficult times... just give em a break, they’re doing asbestos they can

[@natlus6805]

ha **immediatly dies of cancer from both asbestos and this joke**

[@timothyhosken5677]

Natlus f

[@astletruscott6291]

Very funny I'm nearly gonna die

[@Irreverent_bob]

Astle Truscott well that sounds like a you problem my guy

[@jackhubbard9568]

Ok dad

[@markmiranda9461]

Everything in Russia looks grey and depressing.

[@yungchang4124]

In Soviet Russia, depression is you 😢

[@markmiranda9461]

Depression is me everywhere pal.

[@dripxpvs606]

come to bucharest and you will see the same thing

[@jacobdueholm9855]

Yeah, most of all people’s lungs!

[@neptunevibe]

that's because it is.. is a hole.. fucking hate them..

[@saintstevo7965]

I actually live in libby montana the cleanup began in the 90s and finally after about 25 years or so our super small town is finally asbestos free

[@anactualalpaca7016]

And it only took 25 years and half the town getting deathly ill! :D

[@supercooled]

How can a natural material / mineral from an area be contained? It's still in the ground/ mines / soil / etc. You can't be free of it unless you move out of that town.

[@hardcase1659]

@@supercooledAs long as it's not agitated and made airborne, there is no risk of asbestos mixing with water or soil as asbestos is inert, meaning it won't react with most chemicals. The only danger asbestos poses is when it is inhaled where it mechanically damages the insides of your lungs by causing scar tissue to form due to long term abrasion that severely limits one's lung capacity over the years. The reason asbestos fibers cause cancer is because inflammation that can progress into cancer or other forms of genetic mutations.

[@supercooled]

Hard Case similar to bowel cancer. There is studies evidentially say eating legumes can cause linings to form alesions which can lead to cancer cells down the road.

[@hardcase1659]

@@supercooled Yes, that is a perfect example.

[@ThatRedHusky]

The older Asbest man who was interviewed had severely clubbed fingernails. One of the most obvious medical side effects of poor lung function.

[@mansourq.689]

Exactly, i was about to say the same thing. They should have proved them wrong by the first signs and symptoms of the problem.

[@andrewbellinger6120]

So weird how lung function can affect your fingertips like that

[@saddemgargouri]

or corticosteroid treatment , or cancer that produces Hormones like substances ( lung cancer ) . But in all ways as you correctly noticed his lungs are fucked

[@theproudpinoy1015]

@@saddemgargouri here in the Philippines people snort asbestos to get high

[@amdsk8r]

@@theproudpinoy1015 lmao... Is that what they told you that was?

[@waurennn]

“I know it’s going to kill me and it’ll probably kill my kids and my husband” that is so heavy

[@sspacy4181]

Yea

[@phiksit]

Strange how she was so severely effected but the husband was the one who worked in the factory and he still seems ok.

[@Keshaire]

@@phiksit Because he wasn't afraid.

[@Raven-mp7bv]

Keshaire!!! Asbestos smells fear

[@jamalanewpizza6334]

Lauren Im 99% sure you were born a male.

[@vmoya1820]

I work in asbestos abatement and I find it insane that every summer we have to remove asbestos from schools and colleges and the students and staff don't even know they are being exposed to asbestos.

[@peter_smyth]

I thought asbestos in buildings was fine as long as you don't poke around in the asbestos bits and move them, which then releases fibres and dust. Am I wrong?

[@LillyLavine]

Peter Smyth yes the asbestos in buildings is fine if it is undisturbed. A lot of time is schools and office buildings it has to be abated because of high traffic and that begins to wear and cause potential harm.

[@smokeonkush420]

Any chance you guys could world on minimum security jail Durango? I was in there for 15 days and the building is already condemned. Literally killers have it better as they get the new facility. I was in there because of a misdemeanor and the place is old. I felt like every second I was in there cancer was just seeping and suffocating me. Did I mention it’s maricopa county, AZ. Fuck maricopa county!

[@smokeonkush420]

Did I mention abstesos and black mold? Yeah it’s nasty as fuck

[@ellamedley7558]

Is it okay to work on windows with asbestos because they where removing windows at my school and had a sign that said asbestos warning but they didn't have decontamination or anything and students where walking around.

[@jordancarroll9397]

It was still being mined in Canada up until 2012, there is a town in quebec named asbestos. The Jeffrey mine in Asbestos, Quebec was the largest asbestos mine in the world.

[@emilyfredrickson9009]

This is incredibly upsetting. My grandfather was a contractor and died of mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure.

[@angelagendreau3586]

Mine was an electrician in a mine. He never got cancer ( that we know of) but his cause of death is listed as asbestosis. Several men in the area died from the same illness or the related cancer. He passed in 2011.

[@handlemonium]

*"History repeats itself....."* ~Karl Marx

[@i1shadow361]

My grandfather also died of mesothelioma. I was 2 years away from being able to meet him.

[@TheKratoKiller]

My Great Grandfather died of Mesothelioma from Asbestos exposure as a young man breaking down train carriages. He was in his 50s when he passed and I never met him because of it.

[@creatorzp]

"If you are not afraid, the body will heal itself" Give this man a PhD in biology already

[@mrgoose2108]

Those two guys were definitely government

[@magisterrleth3129]

​@mrgoose2108 I wouldn't be so sure about that. That sort of view is very common in Russia. The "just get over it," view. Life has always been hard for the Russian common folk.

[@1oneguythat]

that was the toughest thing i ever heard.

[@1oneguythat]

LOOOOOL ok that even funnier@@mrgoose2108

[@1oneguythat]

either government, or wise men that know better than to speak badly about their country.

[@Metaphix]

at least the old guy has a magnetic bracelet to balance his chi, he'll be fine.

[@TH3USUALSUSPECT]

+Corbin Chesley lol

[@rubbers3]

sdhjtge You want entire group of people killed just because. It's you who don't deserve to live in a society.

[@rubbers3]

sdhjtge k

[@cwatson42785]

+sdhjtge So my grandmother should be shot?

[@THEOWNEROFNOTHING345]

+sdhjtge Should 84% of the world's population then be shot?

[@CompetitiveMike]

I lost my job basically because I refused to work around asbestos, I live in the UK.

[@alexcharles1996ac]

+Lusus asbestos roofs wernt so much of a problem unless if the building caught on fire , or if you damaged

[@MrBiggles42]

+Lusus This isn't funny.

[@CompetitiveMike]

+Lusus My granddad has asbestos in his lungs he worked in construction, I have asbestos in my lungs I worked as a trainee electrician. I've worked with a man that lost his wife because of the asbestos covered clothes that he brought to his house. I'm not saying everyone dies but people do, it doesn't matter if its in a mine, school or in construction any amount can kill you, but it's clear the more your exposed to the bigger the risk. Thousands of people die in the UK alone and i've never seen or heard of any asbestos mines in the UK Maybe you should take a minute to consider the rational argument.

[@MrBiggles42]

+CompetitiveMike Just ignore him; he gets a rise out of stirring up trouble. disgusting he has to resort to people's deaths for it.

[@CompetitiveMike]

+MrBiggles42 I don't mind talking to him, I don't think he means to be malicious. He just seems to under estimate how dangerous asbestos is.

[@Nahhmah]

"They knew...they knew."

[@Scorch428]

The infamous "THEY", lol

[@shelbyb9965]

@@Scorch428 This isn't some unknown, demonized "they." She named the company, W.R. Grace. Go ahead and give them a Google. It becomes very apparent that they are at fault.

[@corneliusflake2103]

That part fucked me up... she was perfectly dramatic

[@Cooe.]

@@Scorch428 Kindly go fuck yourself. Thanks.

[@josephstjohn3871]

My grandfather died about a month ago, he had cancer in the lining of the lung, causing his lungs to fill with fluid, just like the video said. The cancer was caused by asbestos. Terrible material.

[@jamiejosh96]

Do you mind me asking what he did for a living?

[@F1emingo]

6:02 thank god they blurred out his face! *gives full name*

[@Mehtalik]

Vasily Pupkin is like a joke version of a generic Russian name.

[@Pwn3dbyth3n00b]

It's like John Doe in Russian

[@gervankempen8721]

that's what asbetos does to the brain but nowbody figured it out yet ???

[@chef95rus]

Actually, this name is just John Doe, but in Russian.

[@chef95rus]

@NPC #303 we are oppressed by the government in many ways. Mainly ideologically.

[@grezgorztube]

Canada also had Asbestos mining up until just a few years ago (2011), and yes, we too have a town named after the substance (Asbestos, QC). We were mining and selling it long after it had been banned for domestic sale or use.

[@damianp7313]

I think we still mine it lol fml

[@sophierenard787]

@@damianp7313 update its closed but they mine other mineral down there now

[@adriandurlej9266]

3:17 "Things happen to you only when you are afraid of them." The ignorance is real.

[@knecht6974]

Adrian Durlej No point of thinking about it when you whole life is a shit show in some mineingtown in russia

[@knecht6974]

Mat Ignatyev Hey, do can you know the song Тело by ЛСП? I cant find a decent translation Anywhere, could you tell me what its about? Thank you very much in Advance :)

[@jan.tichavsky]

Lol, never fails to spot offended Russian. Those in the video clearly don't care. But Russians in general have this culture, better don't poke the problems, stay out of trouble even if it directly affects your health. In the west people at least admit using asbestos was wrong and it has been banned. You can freely discuss that the sugar lobby paint fat as the worst substance when in fact sugar addicition is what causes most people health problems. In Russia, in official interview you deny that with poker face. See also the documentary about Dzerzhinsk, the reactions are the same, doctors deny anything wrong: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooDdZH2Egd5nZ6s

[@schannel9900]

Adrian Durlej welcome to Russia mate

[@johnames6430]

it's a 3rd world sh-thole country as Trump would say

[@josephrowell9052]

anyone else get the feeling that asbest doctor was paid off or threatened?

[@davidmyers2912]

THIS is why I love Vice so much. Educational, eye-opening stories that you'll never see anywhere else. They aren't afraid to send (albeit scared) reporters into situations like this. Who would have thought a town like this existed and an industry like this was still thriving. All I can say, besides thank you Vice, is only in Russia.

[@dust7962]

3:16 "Things happen only when you are afraid of them." That's Soviet Russia for ya

[@bb-sq9kf]

Great Meme Warrior not even soviet you dipshit

[@blablaforhknot]

Cancer cure found

[@cupofjotv8195]

There was never Soviet Russia, now its capitalist Russia and back then it was Soviet Union

[@tomwhitworth9591]

nathan moo Dude, give it a rest. No countries willingly became Communist. It was forced upon them....by Russia.

[@cupofjotv8195]

random dude they were forced by the Soviet Union and the communist party, unit Russia

[@timmypowell9930]

Big respect to all the asbestos remediation workers who risk there lives to save others. I was one of them and had to quit my job because I was too worried about long term health risks.

[@FirstLast-fr4hb]

"The body will heal itself, no one ever dies of cancer" Amazing how careless and ignorant people are. My heart feels deep sorrow to see these people suffering. We can do so much better as humans.

[@snowbie.]

it's ironic because with regards to fine-particle exposure, the body healing itself is what will kill you. inhaling saw dust is terrible for you, and when these tiny particles invade your lungs and damage them, the resulting scar tissue will impair your breathing. this holds true for asbestos too, but its other dangers greatly outweigh the direct damage of tiny particles

[@POOPGOD999]

Reminds me of a certain viral pandemic. “Its not bad because it happened to me,” or “well I got it and it wasnt a bad case which could’ve easily happened so therefore the virus is is nO bIG dEaL”

[@nupsu1100]

"If you're not afraid, the body will heal itself" Yeah, okay.

[@Ayr-me7vb]

Its true, one time I fell down a mine shaft and nearly every bone in my body was broken, my limbs were mangled and I was heavily concussed; but after a short while down there I realized that I could just stop being scared. The moment I stopped being fearful of my predicament my bones began to snap back into place, my limbs began to grow straight and strong and my head felt as clear as ever. Not only that, but I also managed to fly out of the mind shaft! The human body really is incredible

[@priestleyharker4046]

Asbestos is a fantastic material, it's magical. Unfortunately it kills us so, there is that.

[@noahfischer3088]

Its like mercury

[@me-jv8ji]

@@noahfischer3088 i drink that

[@climberis1]

Unless it’s wet

[@mgrattan21]

No mention of Canada still mining & selling Asbestos. With only a partial ban as of 2018.

[@JayTayD]

Michael Grattan except the last 2 remaining mines in Quebec were shutdown in 2011

[@mgrattan21]

@@JayTayD They are still using and selling it..

[@JayTayD]

Michael Grattan not that I could find

[@bilibiliism]

@@JayTayD www.asbestos.com/news/2018/10/22/canada-asbestos-ban-exemptions/

[@renegadehitman3271]

Canada is failed state that has been Hijacked by left wing extremists. Our leader is incompetent, and our economy is over reliant on the US. I feel ashamed to be Canadian, knowing that we haven't banned substances like this and cannabis.

[@blowme3684]

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma you may be entitled to financial compensation

[@chrisnamaste3572]

Not in Russia....

[@Tactical_Nightwach]

And if you have diybeetss call liberty medical lol

[@williamstevenson8454]

Name checks out

[@nietrelevant3338]

My mother passed away due to asbestos cancer (mesothelioma) last week. It's one of the few cancers that is untreatable, she caught it because the school she worked at got burned down by vandals and it was insulated with asbestos. She went into the school the next day to try and find belongings of the children she teached. It's insane that asbestos is still produced to this day..

[@comdrive3865]

wow all she did was visit the rubble for one day and she died? that's brutal.

[@Ryan-uh9le]

Me and my friends went to some victorian hospital which was full of asbestos and we used to regularly smash it up before it got knocked down. Hmm... Rip though

[@sumaiyashajahan3866]

My aunt passed away two weeks ago because of this deadly cancerous disease called Mesothelioma. She used to work overseas some time back. So we guess, she might have been exposed to asbestos somewhere in the overseas. She was really fit and healthy a month ago. Then she gradually started losing weight and eventually showed all the symptoms for this disease. The CT scan further confirmed this. Even any doctors couldn’t help with this thing and told us to believe in God. The worst part was, it was really sad to witnesses her body pain. She suffered a lot in the last few days. I pray no one should ever suffer with any deadly disease 🙏🏻 😢

[@Reitz86]

The latency period is 10 to 40 yrs, these folks are screwed

[@valestivale4711]

That lady who talked so fondly of her life despite how awful it had become..I wish we had more time listening to her story.

[@mckenzienorton7473]

She is my grandma! She passed away May of 2016 from her sickness but she never let it stop her from loving her life and her family! I watch this video all the time just so I can hear her voice again!

[@MrSuperBrite]

+VICE Did you forgot to mention that Canada is still mining asbestos and selling it to 3rd world countries? Edit. Canada is no longer mining asbestos, because of economical difficulties.

[@MrBiggles42]

+MrSuperBrite They're not a primary exporter of it. America does it, too, and they mentioned them.

[@cymophanous8193]

Source? This is highly concerning to me as a Canadian.

[@MrSuperBrite]

cymophanous Sorry, no worries. I just had old information, Canada has stopped mining asbestos for now, but only because of economical difficulties. Asbestos mining seemed to be operational in Quebec until 2012.

[@MrBiggles42]

+cymophanous Google asbetos exporting.

[@MrBiggles42]

my bad as well, wasn't aware of the 2012 change. good on them. lucky, lol

[@epicgamer9766]

asbestos makes a crunchety munch when you eat it

[@JuliaMarieH]

shawn steele the forbidden snacc

[@stephenk6582]

Would you know from experience??? Lol😂

[@bigworm5024]

Just spit my damn drink out when i read this

[@franciswhite419]

Agreed. I'm having some right now.

[@jogmas12]

Maybevideosmaybenot snap, crackle, pop, asbestos-krispies

[@TheDarkever]

I'm pretty sure all the top managers of that Asbestos company take care of having none of their lovely material into their own home.

[@oprahwinfrey878]

Corporations hiding the information from the general public like the tobacco and asbestos companies did; same concept applys to the herbicide and pesticide companies

[@me-jv8ji]

Dip is lit

[@Diesel8290]

In Russia asbestos breathes you!

[@astilafreniere]

Love this comment haha

[@ray_ayy]

Diesel 8290 Best comment lol. Thanks for making my day.

[@VICE]

VICE reporter Milène Larsson investigates why the deadly industry of mining and selling asbestos-a known carcinogen that kills more than 100,000 people a year-is still going strong.

[@martinaee]

+VICE The quote from that Russian guy she talks to at the mine.... Wow... : "Things only happen to you when you are afraid of them." I got cancer randomly with no exposure. I can't believe these guys have not even the slightest mental concept of how screwed they probably are from exposure. Sorry, but "not being afraid" of cancer doesn't mean it won't happen to you. Unfortunately it doesn't have preference and isn't the boogie monster.

[@joebazooks]

+VICE 6:02 you guys blurred out his face but broadcast his name?! or is that a fake name? lol

[@miro.georgiev97]

Powerful doc. A tear-jerker like nothing else I've seen.

[@Xostrich12X]

+VICE you see vice, this is the stuff your viewers like to see--not the garbage you mostly post with hipsters getting high in foreign places

[@ranpo677]

+martinaee I think the fact that they were probably raised on that concept is the main reason they push it off as no being an issue. I thought it was crazy too then I realized how much exposure the people got to asbestos being the best mineral ever.

[@cinematicstories6308]

Finally! A good documentary again! Praise the lord!

[@bentucker1775]

+CinematicStories YEAH DUDE!

[@loganw178]

+CinematicStories Your videos are better/funnier than vice's lol

[@lacombar]

+CinematicStories are you kidding ? The "journalist" is continuously afraid, as if aesbesto would kill her right ahead...

[@MrBiggles42]

+lacombar because it kills? imagine something that just invades your body after ACCIDENTALLY breathing it. also, it slowly kills you and generally ruins your life. not afraid? don't be proud; you're going to die because of that, and nobody is going to be impressed THE

[@MrBiggles42]

+lacombar you need help

[@daibhi8030]

When the doctor said it was fine the air is good in asbest he then goes on to talk about his summer house and the penny dropped, even the doctors are lying for back handlers and summer houses.

[@Petrichor134]

Most Russians have dachas or summer houses from the Soviet times. They grow vegetables there

[@TheKratoKiller]

The Soviet Union May have fell but the liars did not.

[@SirCrest]

This is the kind of incredible VICE documentaries you guys are famous for. Great work by the whole team.

[@PAXperMortem]

You can see the corruption and fear oozing out of these people's faces.

[@chepushila1]

PAXperMortem You can see bullshit oozing out those professors and journalists faces.

[@jayden793]

@@chepushila1 why

[@PiOfficial]

No you can’t

[@tomcavness]

I'm an environmental consultant working in the asbestos industry in the US. The asbestos industry here involves the REMOVAL of asbestos, not the application of it. Bringing Libby, Montana into this is highly misleading, as their problem is not due to the continued production of asbestos and asbestos products, but rather their use of a mineral called vermiculite that had an asbestos vein running next to it. They couldn't separate the asbestos from the vermiculite so they just used both together. And they used it EVERYWHERE in their town (as well as exporting it all across the United States). As a result, everything in Libby from the asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks, to a large percentage of the building materials, is contaminated with asbestos-containing vermiculite. However, this all happened decades ago, and Libby has been turned into a Superfund site by the EPA in an effort to contain and clean up. Libby has nothing to do with the continued production of asbestos or asbestos products. All asbestos mines in the US have been closed down. Canada, on the other hand, has asbestos mining happening currently. They won't allow the product to be sold in their country, but they export the hell out of it to countries that will still accept it.

[@alimmi9]

Did you watch the entire video? It pretty much states what you have just said...

[@Garfuck]

I heard Trump is gonna make asbestos great again, though. Beautiful, clean asbestos. They wash it, you know?

[@madhatter9995]

@@Garfuck 😂😂😂 welcome to the reign of Trump ~

[@hydro.pl.27]

Garfuck That won’t get done man. Trump is focused on other things such as the border for example. If you don’t live here too politics is the worst I’ve every seen it. Regardless of whose the president here, the two main political party’s can no longer agree on a single thing which is absurd.

[@rogertorrez1798]

I’m working in these apartments with asbestos for months. Without protection. Am I done for?

[@unorthdoxcleric6953]

I worked taking ceilings down for a building company linked to insurance work. It was cash in hand work and I was more than likely exposed to asbestos. It worrys me that I will come down with it one day. I'm 40 now so I'd be happy if I at least made it to 60 before getting ill.

[@coreywiley3981]

It takes a lot to get people to realize how toxic our society is in it's uses of materials that are harmful and to get them to show urgency to change. Reminds me of people in my hometown and lead in the pipes ...I would try to talk about it and they would act exactly like the guys in the beginning of this documentary walking around the asbestos mine.

[@randomcow505]

lead pipes are fine, as long as the water is hard enough in homes might be a different story, but underground for carrying water they are fine

[@coreywiley3981]

"As long as" - I mean, that is just leaving too much to chance. Water flow isn't always the same; it might be harder or softer at times. Lead is not something to mess around with; it is bioaccumulative. It is much wiser to use the precautionary principle from the start and invest in non-toxic infrastructure, such as stainless steel or copper. We are talking about people's health and the overall quality of the infrastructure. This is something we should spare no cost in ensuring quality and safety.@@randomcow505

[@HobbyOrganist]

Lead is not that big a danger if you dont EAT paint chips or use lead soldered water pipes,I work in the pipe organ trade and some of the colleagues of mine work in the metal dept with lead all day long- soldering, cutting, bending, trimming, filing, cleaning, polishing, they get regular blood tests which are always negative because they WASH their hands after handling the lead, it's as simple as that. Some of them have been working with it for 35 years 5 days a week and they don't have any lead related health problems.

[@MrTynanDraper]

I believe Canada still mines Asbestos even though it is banned in our country. . we just sell it to India where they don't care. Vice should do a doc about Canadian Asbestos mining. Ironically they recently blew up a huge former government building here in the capital city because it was built in the 60's and had asbestos insulation.

[@americansniper1641]

Not anymore

[@MrTynanDraper]

+American Sniper OK, I guess they finally closed up. THanks. Go Bernie!

[@garrettholland664]

+Daniel Tynan they stopped back in 2011

[@Cokaine_d]

Hmm I am really going to check whether my house is made up of asbestos if yes I am going to remove it !

[@garrettholland664]

+Kaustubh Dhondarkar if it is there and undamaged, don't remove it. it is the dust from construction or destruction of it that got it banned

[@SirArghPirate]

Found out a couple of years ago that the santa claus beard my grandfather used on christmas eve when I was young (30 years ago) was entirely made from asbestos.

[@maisong4364]

SirArghPirate oh my jesus 😱

[@leocurious9919]

And its just fine. The problems with asbestos come from microscopic particles, not large strands of it. These dust particles form when you saw asbestos or other types of processing.

[@lcvmaddox3357]

Thanks, Dr. Putin.

[@tamagordon158]

My son is a disable Navy veteran due to when he was stationed in San Diego, the Barricks he was supposed to go into for the Navy was full so they put a bunch of them in Marine barracks. After a while serving he started feeling bad could not breathe he already had asthma issues before he joined though he graduated from Boot Camp later he found out after testing that he had Asbestos poisoning the barracks they put them in was Contaminated with asbestos 😮 he has five children 😢 and the most sad thing is, he knows what it can do to a person because he watched his grandfather die of it.

[@spelunkerd]

This is the end result of excessive corporate influence on government decisions. The only defense is a free press and independent government review organizations. Who would choose otherwise?

[@HWalla23]

Bootlickers, of course

[@HillbillyRednecking]

With the help of trump, the US has been green lighted to use asbestos again in new building products, all imported from Russia.

[@Roensmusic]

most people are not choosing anything....... most of the time big companies and politics do this kind of shit behind our backs.

[@oprahwinfrey878]

You libitarian asshole

[@chrisskull7882]

@@HillbillyRednecking um what? Are you stupid

[@RTM459]

They might as well go stay in Chernobyl

[@TheBrainSquared]

There are many that do... The radiation levels there are now exceptionable (In Russian Standards anyway) and many people are moving back... Russia is all about idiots being overly macho and trying to prove themselves as being invisible..Other wise you would not be a man to them...

[@daveha4445]

Be 'if you dont believe in it, you're safe'

[@misateki]

The health risks you can get from radiation in Chernobyl is relatively minor (as long as you don't get too close to the reactor) compared to asbestos

[@dilsyy]

@@TheBrainSquared Do you even know what happens in Russia? Most people are completely normal and don't try to be macho. I hate people who speak through their ass about people in different countries because they know only what is widely shown.

[@robertandrews6915]

Chernobyl is safer

[@TheArcTangente]

why dont you guys show who are still using abestos?

[@NoSwear09]

+TheArcTangente absolutely every old roof (summer houses, garages etc.) in Russia, and also in adjacent countries, will be covered in asbestos sheets. I always wondered why recycling plants didn't take it.

[@Leb.ertarian]

+TheArcTangente India is one of the biggest users of asbestos.

[@filipryba9612]

i have roof from material with asbestos

[@TheArcTangente]

that's gnarly

[@MrKardukas]

+georgehackney you should be more specific about eastern europe, because in EU asbestos is banned aswell as all materials containing it.

[@sbright33]

I grew up in Ambler, PA. Played in the dust of the white mountains every day, rolling down the hills. About half of the workers from the 1950's got sick or died in our town, 50 years later. YET NOBODY KEEPS TRACK of these statistics.

[@GulliversFlo]

You not worried about yourself?

[@growurown207]

Greed negates logic

[@SomeKidsAtHomes]

no one cares for third world countries

[@growurown207]

We all share the same air, so I would suggest you rethink that statement.

[@growurown207]

That falls under the same premise.

[@growurown207]

I'm not going argue over semantics

[@growurown207]

greed ɡrēd/ noun intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. ne·gate nəˈɡāt/ verb 1. nullify; make ineffective. "alcohol negates the effects of the drug" synonyms: invalidate, nullify, neutralize, cancel; More antonyms: validate, confirm 2. make (a clause, sentence, or proposition) negative in meaning. log·ic ˈläjik/Submit noun 1. reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity. "experience is a better guide to this than deductive logic" synonyms: reasoning, line of reasoning, rationale, argument, argumentation "the logic of their argument"

[@edbenti5007]

I had two uncles, Russ Spear and Cal Ammerman. Russ worked for John Mansville, and Cal worked for Pontiac and then as a pipefitter. I worked for Chevrolet doing brake reline jobs. Russ died of mesothelioma in his 40s. Mansville made asbestos insulation. Cal died of a heart attack on the operating table to remove a lung cancer from mesothelioma, the brakes and pipe insulation were asbestos. I am waiting for my turn.

[@orangeshell8]

You dead yet?

[@dw4525]

@@orangeshell8 he died

[@obfuscated3090]

Note asbestos roofing or siding isn't asbestos in a friable form, but of course becomes dangerous if disrupted in a structural fire. (So do carbon fibers used in aircraft, which is why crash recovery teams spray undiluted industrial floor wax and other "fixatives" on damaged and burned composite. I was USAF crash recovery qualified.) The doctor not being worried about his roof any more than I am about my asbestos siding is reasonable, but of course he's a company stooge with respect to friable forms of asbestos. Should I ever remove my siding (unlikely because it doesn't deteriorate) I'll wear full Tyvek and a respirator and do it properly. If you read about abuses in the US asbestos removal industry the bad guys often use immigrants including Eastern Europeans who are ignorant of asbestos. Don't be those guys!

[@mrbobsshow]

When I was 20 I bought a old house built in the early 1800s and the furnace was what we call a snowman. Huge covered in asbestos. As were most of the pipes long story short. I had to replace it and it cost me more to remove the asbestos than it did for the new heating system. Here in the U.S.A. It cost a small fortune to get rid of it. I was inherited a older home that has asbestos shingles covering the home I want to demolish it but the cost of removing the shingles is enormous.

[@phipear]

Snowball furnaces are the most likely furnace to be “stolen in the middle of the night!”

[@ProgamerEU]

If you're not afraid of it, the body will heal itself... Nice logic there

[@ccprophets]

placebo effect. stupid westerner

[@tysonmorgan346]

Sir cam the Russian guy said it in the video...

[@tomwhitworth9591]

Sir cam The placebo effect doesn't stop you from getting serious illnesses. You showed how poorly eductaed you are with such an accusation. Where were you educated?

[@TheEliera]

Good luck with placebo effect when you have cancer. Stupid russian troll...

[@nabawi7]

@@tomwhitworth9591 Cam was educated in Russia. He majored in Russian lies and propaganda.

[@BossManGlizzy]

8:56 man that’s freakin sad poor guy loves his wife

[@jlastre]

I started out as a chemistry major in the mid 80s in the US. During that time we still used asbestos products to protect ourselves from heat. My mom who was a medical technologist told me not to break any of the products, wet them down if I did, and wash my hands after use. The stuff is scary.

[@tmann153]

In 1950s America, just about every mom put an asbestos pad on her stovetop where she put the hot pot or frypan on.

[@leesanimating]

“I miss being spontaneous” broke my heart… hope they get the care they need

[@ianh1504]

"Every industry has its health hazards, its not a reason to quit living" UM ACTUALLY MESOTHELIOMA IS A PRETTY GOOD REASON TO QUIT LIVINF

[@Languslangus]

Dont wory most russians die before being old enough for cancer

[@redtriangle8491]

Well, its rather death of hunger or mesothelioma

[@destroythehuman3380]

Good job blanking out the faces, in a small town, where everybody knows each other.... and probably know exactly who them people are and the insides of their houses haha.

[@coreywilliams1454]

Wouldn't call a town of 68k+ small.

[@covodex516]

especially if they WRITE HIS FUCKING NAME RIGHT NEXT TO THE BLURRED OUT FACE lol wtf^^

[@colmercer3315]

Well the will have long cancer, but I hope that the don't

[@StillLivingInChaos]

Well that was a MASSIVE eye opener. I knew it was horrendous stuff as we have a family member who is a carpenter suffering from asbestos related lung problems. But I'd just naively assumed because it was banned in the UK, and that the dangers are so widely known, that it wouldn't' be mined anymore. Scary that certain nations ignore all the research out there and continue on nonetheless. :(

[@cameronhammer8872]

The evasion of questions by people who are obviously hurt by it is heartbreaking

[@tomkiso4792]

My dad died of mesothelioma after working 45 years in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton/Seattle.

[@MrPizza206]

Tom Kiso awesome I live in Seattle

[@stephenm2661]

My grandfather worked in the shipyards in the war, his left lung didn't develop properly from the age of 20. At 74 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died just over a year after his diagnosis in 2015 and died in May of 2016 in hospital after collapsing in his care home room. He's so very much missed and the Ministry of Defence were sued and we won, they paid out. The United Kingdom government are good at paying out to the families and victims of this kind of asbestos exposure.

[@KirkSB]

asbestos mittens..

[@viktorvaughn9927]

+Kirk SB army used to issue them them for changing barrels on machine gun if im not mistaken

[@TH3USUALSUSPECT]

+Kirk SB Isolating as fuck.

[@mcardifortress]

+Kirk SB Firefigther clothing is made (or use to be made?) with abestos.

[@TheJttv]

+Viktor Vaughn the German mg 42 was issued with a asbestos pad to change the barrel. off the top of my head i cant think of enyone else

[@garrettholland664]

+mcardifortress still is, teflon does not work anywhere near as well. also NASA uses it in aircraft. it is a wonderful material, too bad it causes mesothelioma

[@allancopland1768]

As a licensed radio amateur I talked with a guy in Asbest. His English was limited but my Russian was even worse. He explained Asbest like this. 'Not good place for holiday', then went on to describe how his wife had to shake the asbestos dust off their clothes on the airing rack on their balcony before bringing them indoors. What a hellish way to live. For myself, I have been exposed to plenty of Asbestos while working in a local college here in Scotland. Buildings constructed here in the UK in the1970's used a lot of asbestos in their construction. Schools, colleges and homes of that era used a lot of ACM (Asbestos Containing Materials) in their construction and colleges abd industrial buildings used asbestos pipe lagging. It was also used extensively in the local shipbuiding industry in the river Clyde.

[@SOLOIIguru]

UGH where has this VICE been? Thanks for comin back with that good shit

[@MrJigssaw1989]

Love how you scrambled the voice and hid the face of the retired worker and then put his actual name next to him .... top kek.

[@turkeythug25]

How you know it’s a real name?😉

[@necro447]

It roughly translates to "John doe"

[@Oscar_Armstrong]

It's the same as writing Joe bloggs. It's just a made up name.

[@xrl1996]

I work at a shipyard, we had a scare with this stuff with an older ship we were refitting. They sealed off the area and wouldn't let anyone near it until they had people come check it out. It wasn't asbestos, but still, don't wanna breathe that shit in.

[@TheClark1205]

Reminds me of my family living next to a coal mine for 20+ years....all of them coughed up coal dust and had cancer to a degree.

[@WanderlustJunkiee]

Russians seem arrogant and cold blooded to deny anything negative about it. doctor says he kinda loved the asbestos town as air was clean. lol

[@hedgehog3180]

Nah he just has pockets full of bribes.

[@superbikesavage9500]

Because smoking looks cooler than working in an asbestos mine

[@kvothethebloodless8090]

Purposeful spreading of misinformation?

[@Hitman47PL]

Yeah because in America the government is all sunshine and rainbows; OH - and they tell you the truth about everything, even if it's not in their best interest. /s

[@andykr2253]

dumbass who mentioned america

[@alfiejones4455]

"In my opinion, the air was quite satisfying"

[@moogily1]

I like how the doctor worded his response to whether or not there were more cancer patients from Asbest compared to other places: "I can't say that there are...."

[@anthonystranack896]

I work in health and safety. I've referenced this doc for years to asbestos companies and I'm always pleased to hear it's well known and often played in it's entirety as part of training progresses. Well done to all involved for producing an informed and effective lasting piece of journalism.

[@TheTerribleShaman]

As recently as early 2019 trade workers are still working with and around asbestos without proper precautions or protections. I have yet to work in a jurisdiction that activity removes asbestos during remodels.

[@jazzliaz2789]

I feel bad for these brainwashed people

[@VanillaSnake21]

+Jazmine Berry they have no choice. They're not brainwashed, but they can't worry constantly either. I was born near Chernobyl and for 11 years lived in radiated area. What else can they do really? You just learn to stop caring.

[@BhudhaLovesBudlight]

+VanillaSnake21 They can always move. Stop caring doesn't make the problem go away unfortunately.

[@cameleonlif]

+Jazmine Berry edit: *for every resident of Russia

[@MrHellexe]

+Tyler Iccarys it's not that easy to move just somewhere. where will you live? whee will you work?

[@BhudhaLovesBudlight]

When there's a will, there's a way. These people do not see or realize the dangers of asbestos because it's not immediate so they are not as worried as they should be. That's really the reason they're not moving elsewhere. But when there is immediate danger, people disregard the question of where to live and where to work. My uncle escaped Soviet controlled Eastern Germany with nothing but the clothes on his back. He hopped around different countries, finding various jobs until he had the money to get a visa and pay for a ship ride to the US. So there.

[@rovert94]

Just want to say Asbestos is legal in the US today and still in gaskets, brake pads, and other products. By law, these products are not required to carry a warning label if they are less than 1% asbestos or if they will not release asbestos fibers during any reasonably foreseeable use. Also many states are making it harder for people affected by asbestos to file a lawsuit or get compensation.

[@tmann153]

Brake pads made now in the U.S. no longer have asbestos.

[@Dan_Yerlll]

My heart absolutely breaks for these people. I hate that there is suffering in this world like this. As a result of the insatiable greed of man.

[@alistairism]

Vice is back with Good documentaries again!

[@Oliver-jz1en]

My school's roof and walls are covered in this. It got disterbed when the roof had some strength testing and the entire floor was closed for a week until it was removed.

[@evilwatermelon2423]

Oliver I’d take the whole week off of school I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near that lol

[@johndesousa7379]

They are finding the same problem with spray foam. Contains chemicals and if not applied properly can cause major health problems.

[@EoRdE6]

Not even close to the same. Not even close.

[@evanfmc]

heartbreaking, informative, terrifying. thank heavens for real journalism

[@kresi3283]

I feel like some RPG game should have a small town like Asbest, where all the people are sick but happy and no matter what you try to say life carries on as normal hrough it.

[@daniellincoln620]

are you on the spectrum?

[@plainlake]

Just the average lifespan is drastically reduced

[@Myria83]

Like Ozyorsk (codename: "City 40")...

[@jitterrypokery1526]

*casually watching fully knowing i have a abestos ceiling*

[@mksabourinable]

Right?

[@XTCsheps]

Stick a drill through it and have a smell

[@grammyd8361]

As long as it is painted and undisturbed you are fine. It's contained by the lead paint that we all used in the 40's, 50's and 60's.

[@iAsbestos]

k

[@grammyd8361]

If it is painted over it is sealed and fine.

[@lesterryanmd]

It is still mined in Canada, let us not play dumb.

[@thersten]

"the air is quite satisfying!" Dr. Sergey knows how to cover his ass.

[@davidenorbedo5555]

In Italy it is illegal to use, and it is removed and destroyed if found in old buildings

[@Snakebite420]

Thank you for showing the true effect Asbestos has had on the Little ol' Town of Libby, MT. Seriously, it destroyed that town. Its constantly losing people, ive met people from there. My whole house is sided with asbestos.. I probably have it in more places through out here as well just in a house thats over was built before 1900's.. fml!.. Its sad those people will have to pay the price for learn this lesson the govt' chooses to ignore.

[@xxXitakegabbiesXxx]

The old man is right, they got away with murder, always have. My heart breaks for these people.

[@Original-Phantom]

Hard to watch him try to catch his breath from just talking

[@nickhahn5412]

Hey! You spell your name with one L ! My gf swears she is the only one!

[@omarzaragoza2797]

Wow estas hermosa

[@clementchishimba180]

come oon that old man is 90yrs + what do u expect

[@raymondosullivan1958]

They will burn in hell

[@setsmoked1535]

In Soviet Russia they snort asbestos lines

[@hiimryan2388]

In capitalist America we buy coke

[@rudywooders9602]

in my country Greece there was an asbestos-cement products factory from 1960 to 1990. Out of 250 workers 72 died by cancer and many more citizens around the area by the debris from chimneys.

[@velvetcroc9827]

I have corrugated absestos cement sheets on the roof of two sheds in my property. As a child, I recall climbing up there once or twice and walking on it. It's probably also in the walls and other places because the place was built before that stuff was banned. Quite a few family members and I have been exposed to this environment for decades but none have had an asbestos-related disease...yet.

[@posty4806]

Same, but now I'm a bit panicked, cause I used to smash asbestos roofing tiles, but it was only once and it happened outside.

[@jonathantan2469]

Asbestos cement is relatively safe unless you break it, drill it, or cut it & inhale the dust. Left alone in the house, it should pose no hazard.

[@RoyalWulffDry]

My pops died from lung cancer caused from many years of asbestos exposure(Air Force and Fire Dept). Shit is no joke bad for you.

[@user-ge4uk9ui8y]

It's safe.

[@justinreyes5042]

This can be condensed to: as always, profit 1st

[@Badwolf10666]

Brilliant episode. As i have got older i have seen and realised how big companys and politicians hide behind their money and real justice is never done. This episode was a good example of this, the way it showed how asbestos isnt banned in america because rich corporations, and how it is very similar to why Russia is mining it and not talking about the effects.