The scientists have it exactly right: the real tragedy is that asbestos-related disease is entirely preventable. Yet, the incidence of asbestos diseases such as mesothelioma is still increasing in the United States and other countries.
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 19, 2010
New York personal injury attorney Joseph W. Belluck says a universal ban on the manufacture and use of asbestos -- as recommended by an international academic group -- is the only realistic way to break the cycle of asbestos-related disease.
“The scientists have it exactly right: the real tragedy is that asbestos-related disease is entirely preventable,” said Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox LLP, a nationally known personal injury law firm. “Yet, the incidence of asbestos diseases such as mesothelioma is still increasing in the United States and other countries.”
The Collegium Ramazzini, an independent international academic society that reviews occupational and environmental health issues, published an article in the July issue of Environmental Health Perspectives saying a worldwide ban is urgently needed on all forms of asbestos.
Asbestos diseases may claim as many as 10 million people before asbestos is banned, the group said. Given the recognized dangers of asbestos, all countries have a duty to their citizens to join in a ban, the article states.
“It’s important to emphasize the Collegium’s point that workers are not being protected from asbestos exposure by technology or safe workplace practices,” Belluck said. “So let’s not kid ourselves that people in the U.S. who work around asbestos are protected. The only way to break the cycle of asbestos-related respiratory disease is to ban the production and use of all forms of asbestos.”
Fifty-two countries now ban all forms of asbestos, yet the use of asbestos is increasing in developing countries. Today, China is the largest user of asbestos. Many countries, including the United States, still import asbestos and asbestos-containing products such as asbestos-cement pipe and brake linings.
A number of countries that ban some forms of asbestos make an exception for chrysotile asbestos, which accounts for nearly all asbestos mined today.
In the United States, about 2,500 to 3,000 people die each year of mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdomen associated with inhaling microscopic asbestos particles. Typically, symptoms of mesothelioma appear up to 30 years or more after exposure. Thousands more victims die of lung cancer related to asbestos.
According to the Collegium, chrysotile asbestos represents nearly 100 percent of asbestos used today and there is general scientific consensus among scientists and physicians that chrysotile causes mesothelioma and lung cancer. The Collegium said claims that chrysotile might be significantly less dangerous than other forms of asbestos had not been substantiated, but had been promoted by the asbestos industry to cloud the issue.
The Collegium Ramazzini, which is composed of 180 scientific and occupational health experts from around the world, takes its name from Bernardino Ramazzini, an Italian scientist from the 1700s who is the father of occupational medicine.
About Belluck & Fox, LLP
Belluck & Fox LLP 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.
For more information, contact the firm at (877) 695-2909 or through their online contact form.
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