Asbestos is proven to cause deadly respiratory illnesses including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and countless other pulmonary diseases. For years, medical professionals, environmentalists, private interest groups, and others affected by the tragedy of mesothelioma have  tracked the continued use of asbestos products known to cause this disease.

The United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) has released its findings in their report Mineral Commodity Summaries 2012 and the results has caused mesothelioma advocates to be shocked.  This report indicates that the U.S. continues to increase the quantity of asbestos imported into the country.  An increase to importing this mineral is a serious offense because Asbestos is renown and proven to cause deadly respiratory illnesses including many pulmonary diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

For years there has been an outcry from the public calling for a ban on asbestos.  Many people understand that the only way to eliminate mesothelioma as well as other deadly diseases caused by asbestos is to eliminate exposure to this mineral.  On December 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning saying, “asbestos is a human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure.”

Linda Reinstein, co-founder and president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), has prepared a  statement in which she states she “was appalled and shocked to discover”  a 34 percent increase in asbestos consumption from the years 2010 to 2011.  The Geological Survey Report states that industries in the United States consumed 820 metric tons of asbestos in 2010 from January through July, and then consumed 1,100 metric tons of asbestos for the same period in 2011 . This clearly a 34 percent increase in asbestos consumption.

The U.S.G.S. report indicates that the use of asbestos in 2011 and the preceding 5 years is the lowest it has been in the United States since 1909.  Additionally, the report shows that in 2011, U.S. apparent consumption increased by 6%, but it is unlikely to represent any resurgence in the asbestos industry.  According to the report and based on current trends, the consumption of asbestos within the United States is scheduled to remain near the 1,000-ton level into the future.

The U.S. depends 100% on asbestos imports rather than mining locally, with the primary sources coming from Canada (92%) and Zimbabwe (6%).  This means that miners in these countries also must be exposed to the deadly mineral in order to service the U.S. demand for asbestos import!

Reinstein issued an appeal to Congress and President Obama, saying:

On behalf of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), I am calling on Congress and the President to immediately prohibit the importation of raw asbestos and asbestos-containing products from crossing our borders to protect public health. I have lost my husband, Alan, to Mesothelioma, a disease caused from asbestos exposure. Nothing can bring him or the hundreds of thousands of other victims back to life, but we can begin by aggressively preventing exposure thus eliminating deadly diseases.

Mesothelioma is a deadly disease caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibers.  The Symptoms of mesothelioma often do not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos and include shortness of breath, pain in the chest, and a persistent cough.  Most cases of mesothelioma are not diagnosed until symptoms appear and the disease has progressed to an advanced stage leaving the patient with life-threatening complications.  Once the disease has reached an advanced stage, median survival is often less than one year.

ADAO was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004.   ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is the largest independent organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases.

The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America was founded in 2001 with a mission: fund research that leads to the quickest and surest cure for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. This cancer disease had few treatment options until this MesoRFA.org and Dr. Parkash Gill’s work created better treatment options. Today, the future looks more hopeful for additional improved treatment options available to those stricken by this cancer.

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