The town of Asbestos, Que., was the object of ridicule on one of the world's most popular comedy programs Thursday night. ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' produced a segment that began with lighthearted mockery and ended with moral indignation over the town's attachment to the asbestos industry. It interviewed local officials who said chrysotile asbestos is perfectly safe if handled properly — then spoke with a Canadian Medical Association doctor who called the industry a national embarrassment.
The piece saved its most scathing bits for last. It reminded people that asbestos is blamed for 100,000 deaths a year and that there's little evidence the product is handled safely in India, the prime market for Quebec asbestos. It ran CBC images of Indian workers tossing around the substance without any precautions. That's when the comedian-reporter on the story toughened his tone. Reporter Aasif Mandvi, who was born in Mumbai, asked the president of an asbestos mine: "Have you ever been to India? . . . Do you think in India people are following the regulations?"
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