Search

It is acknowledged that health outcomes for Australian Indigenous peoples are lower than those of non-Indigenous Australians. Research suggests negative media in relation to Indigenous Australians perpetuates racist stereotypes among the wider population and impacts on the health of Indigenous Australians. This study examined the media portrayal of Indigenous Australian public health issues in selected media over a twelve month period and found that, overwhelmingly, the articles were negative in their portrayal of Indigenous health. A total of 74 percent of the coverage of Australian Indigenous related articles were negative, 15 percent were positive, and 11 percent were neutral. The most common negative subject descriptors related to alcohol, child abuse, petrol sniffing, violence, suicide, deaths in custody, and crime.

The adverse health effects of asbestos are well known, withall forms of asbestos recognised as human carcinogens,causing malignant mesothelioma, lung, laryngeal and ovar-ian cancers as well as the debilitating non-malignant diffuse lungdisease, asbestosis, and pleural plaques. Although use, import and export of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials is banned in Australia and 51 other countries, an estimated 125 million peoplearound the world are still exposed to asbestos in their home andwork environments. Crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos), two forms of asbestos that were heavily used inthe past, are no longer in use. Chrysotile (white asbestos) accounts for 95% of the asbestos produced and used globally since 1990. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and no discernible threshold below which there is no risk of mesothelioma Refereed/Peer-reviewed