Mesothelioma Grows as Consumption of Asbestos Products Grows
The recent release of the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries 2012 has left many mesotheliomaadvocates shocked by the discovery that the U.S. continues to increase the amount of asbestos imported into the country. Asbestos is proven to cause deadly respiratory illnesses including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and countless other pulmonary diseases.
For years, medical professionals, environmentalists, lawyers, and others affected by the tragedy of asbestos exposure, have been calling for a ban of asbestos. The only way to eliminate the deadly asbestos-caused diseases is to eliminate exposure to the deadly toxin. In fact, in December the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning saying, “asbestos is a human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure.”
In a prepared statement, Linda Reinstein, co-founder and president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), said she “was appalled and shocked to discover” that according to the report, U.S. industries consumed 1,100 metric tons of asbestos from January through July 2011, compared to 820 metric tons during the same period in 2010. The difference represents a 34 percent increase in consumption.
The report indicates that the use of asbestos in 2011 and the preceding 5 years is the lowest it has been in the United States since 1909. Further, the USGS reports that in 2011, U.S. apparent consumption increased by 6%, but it is unlikely to represent any resurgence in the asbestos industry. The report suggests that based on current trends, U.S. asbestos consumption is likely to remain near the 1,000-ton level in the near future.
The US relies 100% on asbestos imports. The primary sources are Canada (92%) and Zimbabwe (6%).
Reinstein issued an appeal to Congress and President Obama, saying: “On behalf of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), I am calling on Congress and the President to immediately prohibit the importation of raw asbestos and asbestos-containing products from crossing our borders to protect public health. I have lost my husband, Alan, to Mesothelioma, a disease caused from asbestos exposure. Nothing can bring him or the hundreds of thousands of other victims back to life, but we can begin by aggressively preventing exposure thus eliminating deadly diseases.”
Symptoms of mesothelioma such as shortness of breath, pain in the chest, and a persistent cough, often appear 20 to 50 years after exposure. Most cases of mesothelioma are not diagnosed until symptoms appear and the disease has progressed to an advanced stage leaving the patient with life-threatening complications. Once the disease has reached an advanced stage, median survival is often less than one year.
ADAO was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is the largest independent organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases.
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