April 1 marks the beginning of asbestos awareness week, dedicated to increasing awareness and educating people on the dangers of asbestos. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is holding events each day this week during their “7 Reasons for 7 Days” campaign. ADAO lists these top 7 reasons to prevent asbestos exposure:
- Asbestos is a proven human carcinogen and there is no safe level of exposure.
- Asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, lung and gastrointestinal cancers, and an aggressive cancer called mesothelioma. The average life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient is six – twelve months.
- Asbestos diseases have a 10 – 50 year latency period from initial exposure to development of disease.
- Chrysotile asbestos accounts for nearly 95% of asbestos mined and exported today. The top five asbestos producing countries are Russia, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Canada.
- 55 countries have banned asbestos, but the U.S. and Canada have not.
- The World Health Organization estimates that 107,000 workers die annually from exposure to asbestos. Asbestos has been mined and used in a broad range of products, materials, and applications including construction, insulation, shipyards, and many other industries.
- Asbestos fibers can be nearly 700 times smaller than human hair and are odorless, tasteless, indestructible fibers that can remain suspended in the air for seconds.
ADAO’s events start this evening, Monday, April 1, with a candlelight vigil. On Tuesday April 2, Dr. Richard Lehman, ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair will explain where asbestos is found and who is at risk of exposure.
Fellow ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair Dr. Arthur Frank will discuss what you should do if you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease on April 3.
On Thursday, April 4, a statement from the U.S. Surgeon General will be shared along with recent updates.
Founder of the ADAO, Linda Reinstein, and Public Relations and Communications lecturer, Renae Desai will discuss the benefits of community, titled "Share Your Story: The Power of Community" on April 5.
Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital and the John F. Murray Distinguished Professor of Medicine Dr. V. Courtney Broaddus will discuss "Partnering for Prevention" on Saturday, April 6.
Wrapping up the weeks events will be ADAO’s digital campaign of asbestos education and awareness, specifically ADAO’s #BanAsbestosNow hashtag. A candlelight vigil will be held to honor those currently fighting asbestos-related diseases and those lost to asbestos injuries.