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Posted on Monday, Mar 15, 2010

Asbestos Awareness Week Proposed to Warn About Mesothelioma Danger

To raise awareness of the risks associated with asbestos, known to cause mesothelioma, Senator Baucus of Montana introduced a resolution proposing the first week of April 2010 be set aside as Asbestos Awareness Week. Baucus represents the residents of Montana where nearly 300 people died in Libby from asbestos-related diseases.

Libby, Montana is the site of the W.R. Grace mine and mill that closed in 1980 which is suspected as the site of the asbestos exposure. Often called “asbestos cancer,” mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for mesothelioma, and the average survival time varies from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis.

Senate resolution 427 urges the Surgeon General to warn and educate people about the public health hazard of asbestos exposure. The resolution cites the fact that thousands of workers in the U.S. face significant asbestos exposure as well as the fact that a significant percentage of asbestos disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and in shipyards while serving the country.

For decades, asbestos was widely used in building materials and insulation. About 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States.