ADAO Launches Social Media Campaign Urging Congress to Protect Americans from Scourge of Deadly Asbestos

LOS ANGELES

Ahead of National Mesothelioma Day on September 26, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), which combines education, advocacy, and community to prevent exposure and ensure justice for asbestos victims, is launching its Raise Your Voice | #ENDMeso social media campaign, highlighting the stories of 12 mesothelioma victims in an effort to get Congress to stand up for victims and against asbestos.

Through the stories of these brave individuals, the campaign will urge members of Congress to stand against the asbestos industry and with victims of asbestos-related diseases, pushing lawmakers to support legislation that would finally ban asbestos as well as inform the public about which products are asbestos-containing materials.

“The Raise Your Voice | #ENDMeso campaign strives to make sure every member of Congress hears our stories,” Linda Reinstein, President and CEO of ADAO said. “It’s beyond an outrage that our leaders in Washington, DC have not banned asbestos like 55 other countries have done. Most Americans can’t identify asbestos and certainly can’t manage the risk on their own. Most wrongly believe that asbestos is banned. We demand transparency and action now. We are sick and tired of pleading with Congress to end the asbestos man-made disaster, while thousands of asbestos victims get sick and die. If Congress had taken steps to stop the use and importation of asbestos decades ago, many of those who have died may very well be with us today.”

Each year, up to 15,000 Americans die from mesothelioma, lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers, as well as non-malignant lung and respiratory diseases. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that “Asbestos consumption in the United States was 400 tons” and that “the chloralkali industry accounted for an estimated 88% of U.S. consumption.”

“’Me·so·the·li·o·ma’ is not just a word in a television ad or an advertisement on a city bus. An estimated 3,000 Americans die each year from preventable mesothelioma and imports continue to cross our borders,” said Reinstein. “In addition to mesothelioma, it’s important to know that an estimated 10,000 Americans also die from lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers, as well as non-malignant lung and respiratory diseases.”

The campaign will also spotlight legislation written at the behest of the asbestos industry that seeks to erect legal roadblocks for victims seeking their rightful compensation from the companies that made them sick. The so-called FACT Act, which is backed by major asbestos corporations and big insurance companies, would also place asbestos victims at heightened risk of identity theft by requiring them to put sensitive, personally-identifiable information on the internet, including their names, birthplace, exposure history and a portion of their social security number.

Despite its known dangers, asbestos remains legal and lethal in the USA and imports continue. Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers; as well as non-malignant lung and pleural disorders. The World Health Organization says there is no safe level of exposure and estimates that 107,000 workers around the world will die every year of an asbestos-related disease, equaling 300 deaths per day.

About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org. ADAO, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, does not make legal referrals.

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Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
Kim Cecchini
Media Relations
202-391-5205
Kim@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org