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  • Home > Blog > Mesothelioma > NY Mesothelioma Attorney Joe Belluck Says Forecast Rise in Asian Deaths Supports Worldwide Asbestos Ban
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 19, 2011

NY Mesothelioma Attorney Joe Belluck Says Forecast Rise in Asian Deaths Supports Worldwide Asbestos Ban

New York mesothelioma attorney Joseph W. Belluck said the predicted surge in mesothelioma deaths in Asia underscores the need for a worldwide ban on asbestos.

Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, is closely linked to breathing asbestos, Belluck said.

“It’s no coincidence that an increase in mesothelioma in Asia is anticipated, following the greater imports of asbestos in Asian countries in recent decades,” said Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox, LLP, a New York law firm that represents mesothelioma victims. “We know from experience that mesothelioma deaths will soon follow the increase in asbestos use.  In the U.S., asbestos use peaked in the mid-20th century, and we are still dealing with new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed every week as a consequence.”

According to the new study in Respirology, the journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, the increase in asbestos use in Asian countries since 1970 is likely to trigger a surge in asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, in the next 20 years.

Asia’s share of worldwide asbestos use has steadily increased from 14 percent in the decades before the 1970s to 64 percent from 2001 to 2007, the study said. Asbestos is widely used in building materials, roofing, cement and power plants in Asia. Yet many Asian countries that import asbestos have weak or non-existent workplace safety laws to protect workers from inhaling the toxic asbestos dust.

The portion of mesothelioma deaths recorded in Asian countries is far less than the percentage of asbestos used in Asia, suggesting mesothelioma deaths will rise significantly in the next 20 years. Workers exposed to asbestos typically take 20 to 50 years to show symptoms of malignant mesothelioma after inhaling asbestos fibers.

“Mesothelioma is a tragedy in slow motion, but the consequences are very real to the affected families,” Belluck said. “We believe a worldwide ban on asbestos, as called for by the World Health Organization, is the only sure way to stop the suffering and deaths caused by mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease.”