Simmons Hanly Conroy would like to thank Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Jon Tester (D-MT), as well as the other cosponsors in the U.S. Senate, for introducing and passing a Congressional resolution on Mar. 29, 2022 declaring April 1-7 “National Asbestos Awareness Week.” Resolution 561 aims to promote public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure.

For eighteen straight years, National Asbestos Awareness Week has provided the mesothelioma community with an invaluable platform to help educate the American public about the deadly health risks linked to asbestos exposure. Many people believe becoming ill from asbestos is a thing of the past, but sadly that is far from the truth.

Each year around 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma — an often fatal cancer caused exclusively by asbestos exposure. Thousands more become ill with other asbestos-caused diseases, such as lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal and ovarian cancers in addition to non-malignant lung diseases and asbestosis. In the United States, the estimated annual death toll from asbestos is roughly 40,000, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

Millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in workers exposed in the shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation work in the construction and building trades, and a variety of other trades.

These workers were exposed through no fault of their own, and Simmons Hanly Conroy is dedicated to helping these innocent individuals stand up for their rights. The dangers of asbestos have been known since the early 1900s, but companies chose to prioritize profits over people and continued to manufacture products with asbestos well into the late 1980s.

It’s for reasons like these that National Asbestos Awareness Week is such an important advocacy effort. Together, advocates can put a spotlight on the illnesses caused by asbestos, share stories from mesothelioma warriors and continue the push for an asbestos ban in the United States.

This year, National Asbestos Awareness Week — sponsored by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) — is highlighting seven different themes, one theme for each day of the week.

National Asbestos Awareness Week begins today, Fri. April 1, 2022. Remaining are the following days and themes:

• Sat., April 2 (Day two): World Health Organization (WHO) Asbestos-Related Disease Fact Sheet
• Sun., April 3 (Day three): Asbestos Awareness Fueled by Art and Advocacy From Jordan Zevon and Earl Dotter
• Mon., April 4 (Day four): Asbestos: Partnering for Prevention
• Tues., April 5 (Day five): Global Action to Ban Asbestos in the USA and Around the World 
• Wed., April 6 (Day six): Advancing Asbestos Prevention Through Digital Education and “kNOw Asbestos” Website
• Thurs., April 7 (Day seven): Candlelight Vigil to Honor and Remember Asbestos Victims Worldwide

Additional information about National Asbestos Awareness Week can be found on the ADAO website.

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