[Asbestos and harmful health effects: from denial theories to epidemiological evidence].

The recent episode involving Eternit, a factory in Casale Monferrato (Turin, Italy), culminated in February 2012 with a guilty verdict for the owners of the factory. The indiscriminate use of asbestos, however, continues worldwide, despite evidence of increased risk for conditions such as asbestosis and malignant pleural mesothelioma. In this study we investigate the relationship between epidemiological evidence and denial theories, over the decades and until the present time. Many countries in the world still promote the use of asbestos, with a view to profit and globalization but at the expense of public health.