Public Heath Advocates Seek to Ban Asbestos
Public health advocates, led by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and the John McNamara Foundation, recently formed the Committee to Ban Asbestos in America.
Asbestos kills more than 10,000 men, women, and children every year. The National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported mesothelioma deaths increased from 2004 to 2005 in “Health, United States, 2007.” Since first tracked in 1980, mesothelioma deaths have increased every year.
“As recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in 1976, the only way to prevent asbestos-related diseases is to ban its use,” said Linda Reinstein, chair of the committee. “We are calling on the U.S. Congress and the President to do the right thing and ban asbestos in America and fund critical medical programs. Doctors and scientists agree: asbestos is a carcinogen and that there is no safe level of exposure. Preventing asbestos exposure is the only way to eliminate asbestos caused diseases.”