Canada will face the implication of biological attacks as it joins the war against terrorism in the 21st Century. Bioterrorism will have an enormous impact on the Canadian people and their quality of life. Canada must deal with this threat quickly and efficiently to ensure the health and well being of its citizens and restore the sense of security for all Canadian peoples.
Fear is one of the major factors associated with biological weapons. Fear may do more damage that the weapon itself. So far, there has not been an actual case of biological weapons such as anthrax being found in Canada. Even though a white powder was discovered on Parliament Hill, Health Minister Allan Rock says, “At this time, there are no cases of Canadians being infected by anthrax. There have been no infections, or even actual deliveries of anthrax spores, and few false alarms.” Rock continued, “To date, very few suspicious packages have been brought to the attention of Canada Post.” and concluded, “It is important to remember that the risks are remote.”* Despite Rock’s reassuring comments, Canadians feel much unrest, as the incidents of anthrax in the United States become more frequent. Even isolated cases, if occurring in Canada, would instill a tremendous amount of fear into Canadian citizens. Having a greater awareness would provide Canadians with a greater sense of security, but Canadians are too aware, they are paranoid. The fear is like an epidemic, it is contagious and the only cure for it would be to take a final stand against terrorism once and for all. Canadians are afraid, and enormous impacts on the economy and lifestyle have resulted. The economy suffers as Canadians withhold their money, spend less, take more time away from work and are less productive at work. The lifestyle a Canadian has changed, they are more alert and aware of the potential dangers and try to do anything they can to protect themselves and their families. These actions have caused a strain on the economy and have led to an economic slowdown, which could lead to a much dreaded recession and even worse, a depression.
The Term Paper on An Evaluation Of Anthrax As A Weapon Bioterrorism
Introduction Since September 11 th, terrorism has featured regularly in the media causing widespread alarm. Since the postal attacks in the winter of 2001, in which Bacillus anthracis spores were delivered by mail to targets of terrorism, attention has turned to the possibility of terrorist attack using bio weapons. Bacillus anthracis: The Organism Bacillus anthracis spores, the initial infective ...
In an effort to allay these fears and maintain the growth of the Canadian economy, the federal government has set aside tens of millions dollars to purchase anthrax antibiotics and vaccines and to ensure that the proper medical care is available anywhere, anytime in Canada. In addition to this, the Canadian government has strengthened its security and postal service forces to ensure that common objects such as envelopes and packages acting as carriers for the deadly bacteria are thoroughly scanned before entering the country or reaching their destination. Interest rates have dropped at least half a percent since the attacks on September 11th to encourage more spending and further drive the economy forward.
The impending disaster of anthrax is greatly exaggerated. There has only been one death and six cases in which people exposed to anthrax ended up in the hospital.* Even though an incident of anthrax in Canada is very unlikely, the need for protection and precautionary measures against biological weapons grows greater and will be of unequivocal importance to aid in the safeguarding of the health of Canadian citizens.
