The WHO recognizes that the best way to rid the world of asbestos-related disease is to eliminate the use of all types of asbestos. I couldn’t agree more.
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 22, 2010
New York personal injury attorney Joseph Belluck said a new list of 10 hazardous substances compiled by the World Health Organization underscores the major health risk posed by asbestos.
“Asbestos is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people from asbestos-related diseases each year, and the numbers are still increasing,” said Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox LLP, which represents victims of asbestos-related cancer such as mesothelioma. “The WHO recognizes that the best way to rid the world of asbestos-related disease is to eliminate the use of all types of asbestos. I couldn’t agree more.”
The World Health Organization said action is needed to protect human health from the harmful effects of improperly managed chemicals and hazardous substances, including asbestos, mercury, lead, dioxin, arsenic, cadmium and highly hazardous pesticides.
“It’s quite a list of public menaces, and asbestos certainly belongs on the list,” Belluck said. “It needs to be eliminated from use in the United States and in other countries.
Exposure to asbestos—a mineral fiber used in building materials, cement pipe and motor vehicle parts—causes serious respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and ovary, and asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs, according to the World Health Organization. An estimated 107,000 people died of asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis from workplace exposure to asbestos in 2004.
Currently, about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, the WHO estimates. In recent decades, the use of asbestos has declined in many countries, and more than 40 nations, including all members of the European Union, have banned all forms of asbestos. But chrysotile asbestos is still widely used in asbestos-cement building materials. The largest users are developing countries.
The International Program on Chemical Safely, a joint program of the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program, recommends steps to eliminate harmful effects of asbestos by developing economic incentives for replacement of asbestos, using substitute materials for asbestos, preventing exposure during asbestos removal products and improving early diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related disease.
About Belluck & Fox, LLP
http://Belluck & Fox, LLP [Belluck & Fox, LLP __title__ New York Asbestos lawyer] is a nationally recognized law firm that represents individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, as well as victims of crime, medical malpractice, motorcycle crashes, lead paint and other serious injuries. The firm has won more than $200 million in compensation for its clients and their families.
Partner Jordan Fox is a well-known asbestos and mesothelioma attorney who has been named to the Best Lawyers in America, New York Magazine’s “the Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and to Super Lawyers. On two separate occasions his verdicts were featured as the National Law Journal’s Largest Verdict of the Year.
Partner Joseph W. Belluck is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in New York Magazine’s “The Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and in Super Lawyers. Mr. Belluck has won numerous cases involving injuries from asbestos, defective medical products, tobacco and lead paint, including a recent asbestos case that settled for more than $12 million.
For more information, contact the firm at 877-695-2909 or through the online contact form.
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