Petition Tag - mesothelioma

There is a very good chance that asbestos is present in homes built between the 1950s and the early 1980s. It may also be found in homes built before or after these dates. If it is in poor condition, gets damaged or releases fibres in any way, you and other residents are at risk. If you carry out DIY on asbestos products, you are putting yourself in danger.

Many have already lost their lives or suffering from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. We can't undo the damage already done, but many are risking their lives by removing and disposing asbestos to escape the high fees charged by a qualified asbestos removal company. It is a proven fact that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos and I propose the government offer grants for its removal and safe disposal.

Since the use of asbestos was not prohibited by the government, it should share in the responsibility of protecting citizens from the dangers of asbestos. It is a must to have a free or reduced rate disposal plan. Considering the rising number of mesothelioma cases and the cost of health care, it would seem the prudent, if not moral and ethical, thing to do.

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There is a very good chance that asbestos is present in homes built between the 1950s and the early 1980s. It may also be found in homes built before or after these dates. If it is in poor condition, gets damaged or releases fibres in any way, you and other residents are at risk. If you carry out DIY on asbestos products, you are putting yourself in danger.

Many have already lost their lives or suffering from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. We can't undo the damage already done, but many are risking their lives by removing and disposing of asbestos to escape the high fees to get a qualified asbestos removal company.

It is a proven fact that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos and i propose the government offer grants for removal and safe disposal of it. It was the government that allowed the use of asbestos, it is there responsibility to dispose of this

It is a must to have a free or reduced rate disposal plan.

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Mesothelioma is an asbestos related disease. It is caused by breathing in or swallowing dust particles from asbestos.

In May 2008 Debbie Brewer came across a treatment that may help her mesothelioma. After being given 6-9 months to line in November 2006, she decided to embark on a journey that would discover something that can impact on the disease.

It is thought she was exposed through her fathers work clothes when she was 4 years old. She never blamed her father for this, she blames the employers who he worked for and who didn't protect him from the dangers of asbestos.

In June 2009, after 6 treatments, she was given the news that the disease had regressed by 83%. Others have followed her path and many have had good results too.

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Mistletoe has been used for many years in the support of the immune system for cancer patients. Many people benefit from its properties and it continues to be used today. It is primarily used in Germany in the fight against cancer. It is thought to help support the immune system and relieves the symptoms of chemotherapy.

Quote from Park Attwood clinic:

In Europe, mistletoe (Viscum Album) is the most commonly used complementary therapy in cancer care and is integrated into conventional cancer treatments.

Mistletoe therapy has been developed since 1917 and forms the backbone of medical care for cancer patients in anthroposophic medicine and at Park Attwood. In the UK this therapy is also available via the Homoeopathic Hospitals. There are several consultant-led clinics and hospitals in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands that specialise in this therapy

Mistletoe preparations are usually used in addition to conventional cancer therapies. They improve and strengthen the natural defenses of the body through their effect on the immune system. Improving our immune competence increases wellbeing in body and in spirit and helps us cope with the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Mistletoe therapy can help in dealing with symptoms like fatigue, nausea, digestive problems and weight loss, sleeplessness, low mood, recurring infections and pain. The majority of trials show improvement of quality of life and overall outcomes. Although mistletoe is widely used and there is a growing body of supportive evidence, the merits are not widely accepted and many doctors find the available evidence insufficiently robust.

A recent and thorough review concludes that there is consistent evidence of improvement of quality of life with mistletoe therapy, and reduction of side -effects of conventional treatment*. Further information and research is available on request from Park Attwood as well as on the website www.mistel-therapie.de (both German/English).

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Tell Congress: Totally Ban Asbestos in Industrial Materials, Consumer Products and Toys

Americans have zero tolerance for asbestos!

Scientists agree: Asbestos causes cancer and other deadly diseases, thousands of Americans die each year from asbestos-related diseases, and there’s no known safe level of exposure to any form of asbestos. Yet asbestos is still legal in the US and still found in many common consumer products – even children’s toys.

The US EPA attempted to ban asbestos-containing products in 1989, but that ban was overturned on legal technicalities in court two years later.

In 2007, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization commissioned independent, certified laboratory testing that found asbestos in common household products, such as spackle, window glazing, and duct tape, and even in best-selling children’s toys, such as the popular "CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit." Research by others had already found asbestos in some children's play clays.

Congress is expected to hold hearings soon on whether to implement a total ban on asbestos-containing products. Right now, industry lobbyists are pressuring Congress to institutionalize the allowance of up to 1 percent of asbestos in our industrial materials, consumer products, toys, and other products on American store shelves. We say, "No!" It’s time for a total ban on asbestos in American products.

As organizations and individuals representing and advocating for those most impacted by the toxic effects of asbestos, we urge Congress to institute an effective and verifiable ban on asbestos.

We, the undersign, join Paul Brodeur, Bill Ravanesi, Linda Reinstein, Doug Larkin, Jordan Zevon, Jill Vaughan, Dr. Richard A. Lemen, Dr. Arthur L. Frank, Dr. Michael R. Harbut, Barry Castleman, Michael Horwin, Paul and Michelle Zygielbaum, John Thayer, TC McNamara and Laurie Kazan – Allen as cosignatories urging Congress to totally ban asbestos.

Paul Brodeur, Retired Staff Writer for The New Yorker and Author of Four Books on the Asbestos Health Hazard

Bill Ravanesi, "Breath Taken" Photojournalist and Author

Linda Reinstein, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Executive Director, Cofounder and Mesothelioma Widow

Doug Larkin, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
Communications Director and Cofounder

Jordan Zevon, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
National Spokesperson

Jill Vaughan, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
ACOR Liaison

Arthur L. Frank, MD, PhD Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel University School of Public Health, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Science Advisory Board Co-Chair

Richard Lemen, PhD, MSPH Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS (Ret.), Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Science Advisory Board Co-Chair

Michael R. Harbut, MD, MPH, FCCP

Barry Castleman, Environmental Consultant

Michael Horwin, Cancer Monthly

Paul and Michelle Zygielbaum

John Thayer, Former U.S. Capital Tunnel Worker Supervisor

TC McNamara, The John McNamara Foundation

Laurie Kazan - Allen, International Ban Asbestos Secretariat

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Summary Statement of Physicians, Scientists and Occupational/Environmental Professionals Opposed to the Present Version of the "Ban Asbestos" Act, S.B. 742

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S.RES.43
Designating the first day of April 2005 as `National Asbestos Awareness Day'. (Introduced in Senate)
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 43
Designating the first day of April 2005 as `National Asbestos Awareness Day'.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 8, 2005
Mr. REID submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

RESOLUTION
Designating the first day of April 2005 as `National Asbestos Awareness Day'.
Whereas deadly asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot be smelled or tasted;
Whereas when airborne fibers are inhaled or swallowed, the damage is permanent and irreversible;
Whereas these fibers can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and pleural diseases;
Whereas asbestos-related diseases can take 10 to 50 years to present themselves;
Whereas the expected survival rate of those diagnosed with mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months;
Whereas little is known about late stage treatment and there is no cure for asbestos-related diseases;
Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases would give patients increased treatment options and often improve their prognosis;
Whereas asbestos is a toxic and dangerous substance and must be disposed of properly;
Whereas nearly half of the more than 1,000 screened firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, and volunteers who responded to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, have new and persistent respiratory problems;
Whereas the industry groups with the highest incidence rates of asbestos-related diseases, based on 2000 to 2002 figures, were shipyard workers, vehicle body builders (including rail vehicles), pipefitters, carpenters and electricians, construction (including insulation work and stripping), extraction, energy and water supply, and manufacturing;
Whereas the United States imports more than 30,000,000 pounds of asbestos used in products throughout the Nation;
Whereas asbestos-related diseases kill 10,000 people in the United States each year, and the numbers are increasing;
Whereas asbestos exposure is responsible for 1 in every 125 deaths of men over the age of 50;
Whereas safety and prevention will reduce asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases;
Whereas asbestos has been the largest single cause of occupational cancer;
Whereas asbestos is still a hazard for 1,300,000 workers in the United States;
Whereas asbestos-related deaths have greatly increased in the last 20 years and are expected to continue to increase;
Whereas 30 percent of all asbestos-related disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and in shipyards;
Whereas asbestos was used in the construction of virtually all office buildings, public schools, and homes built before 1975; and
Whereas the establishment of a `National Asbestos Awareness Day' would raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate designates the first day of April 2005 as `National Asbestos Awareness Day'.

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