Senate unanimously approves April 1 – 7 as National Asbestos Awareness Week | Causes, Not Just Cases®
It’s official! On Wednesday, March 7, 2012, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 389 designating April 1 - 7 as “National Asbestos Awareness Week.” The passing of this resolution is a significant step towards giving asbestos victims and concerned citizens a voice by raising public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. We thank the Senate for unanimously passing this resolution, and congratulate the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and Montana Senator Max Baucus, whose tireless efforts saw this resolution through to fruition. This is a great victory for victims of asbestos-related diseases and their loved ones.
“ADAO applauds the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing S. Res. 389, recognizing the first week of April as National Asbestos Awareness Week,” said ADAO President and co-founder Linda Reinstein as quoted in the organizations’ congratulatory announcement. “However, it is shocking and unacceptable that the United States continues to endanger public health by importing 1,100 metric tons of chrysotile asbestos…ADAO will continue to work with Congress to prevent asbestos exposure to eliminate deadly asbestos-caused diseases. Every life lost to a preventable asbestos-caused disease is tragic; hundreds of thousands of lives lost is unconscionable.”
All of us at Motley Rice second Ms. Reinstein’s sentiment. The tragic reality is that asbestos exposure remains a global problem despite being a known human carcinogen that can cause life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma. The World Health Organization estimates that 107,000 workers around the world die each year of an asbestos-related disease. This averages to 300 deaths per day. These victims are often service members, workers, veterans, and family members who were exposed to asbestos in hazardous occupational environments or through household exposure.
Our firm is proud to support the ADAO’s mission and will continue to fight for the rights of asbestos victims and their families, as well as advocate for their causes. Supporting the ADAO’s work is key to winning the battle against mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The ADAO is currently finalizing plans for this year’s Asbestos Awareness Week and its annual conference, so we will be sure to keep you posted. For more information on local events and how you can help, visit the ADAO website.