Global Asbestos Awareness Week is held annually from April 1 through April 7. The week is designed to promote education and awareness about asbestos and the diseases that it causes, including mesothelioma. Asbestos is a natural fiber that is mined for use in construction, shipbuilding, auto manufacturing and many other trades. It is also known to be a deadly carcinogen. Since 2004, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has been working to raise awareness of the risks of asbestos exposure through an annual campaign.
When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can become lodged in the chest cavity and cause cancer and other painful respiratory conditions. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure; and while its use in the United States has decreased significantly since the 1970s, asbestos can still be found in many older buildings. There is a widespread lack of awareness about asbestos and the dangers it poses, which is what Global Asbestos Awareness Week hopes to address.
Awareness Has Grown Since First Asbestos Awareness Day
The movement began in 2005, when then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid brought forth ADAO’s proposal for an Asbestos Awareness Day. ADAO drafted a resolution which the Senate voted unanimously to pass. In 2007, the day of awareness was expanded to a week-long event. ADAO officials recruited asbestos medical, scientific, and safety experts all over the world to help them generate educational content for the seven days.
Today, ADAO has amassed an enormous collection of information on asbestos and its risks that is shared worldwide. For the tenth Asbestos Awareness Week in 2016, the group partnered with the McOnie Agency, a UK-based publicity firm that helped amplify the message across 44 countries and share materials in 21 languages. Throughout the week, numerous videos, blogs, stories from asbestos exposure victims, and other educational resources were released to promote awareness of the devastating effects of asbestos-related diseases and call for a worldwide ban of the toxic substance.
Changes to Asbestos Policy Ongoing
As the awareness movement has grown, it has begun to influence policy in the United States. Former President Barack Obama officially recognized asbestos as a carcinogen and it was added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) list of the top 10 high-risk chemicals that require regulatory action. ADAO has also secured four Surgeon General’s warnings outlining the risks of asbestos exposure. Additionally, each Senate resolution that has passed designating April 1-7 as Global Asbestos Awareness Week has been entered into the official Congressional record.
This year’s Global Asbestos Awareness Week will feature important updates from experts, as well as the Partners for Prevention initiative, which will include movies and works of art inspired by victims of asbestos exposure. Campaigns such as Global Asbestos Awareness Week are critical to prevent asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. Mesothelioma often lays dormant in the body for 10 to 50 years after the initial asbestos exposure and once it is diagnosed, there are very limited treatment options.
Philadelphia Asbestos Lawyers at Shein Law Advocate for Asbestos Exposure Victims
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, or mesothelioma lawyers in Philadelphia at Shein Law can help. Our knowledgeable, dedicated legal team will thoroughly review the facts of your case to determine who is responsible for your asbestos exposure and fight for the compensation to which you are entitled. With offices conveniently located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, we help asbestos exposure victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Call us today at 1-877-SHEINLAW (743-4652) or contact us online to review your case with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer.