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No Level Of Asbestos Exposure Is Known To Be Safe, Surgeon General Warns
By asbestoshub | September 24, 2009
In April 2009 the Surgeon General, Steven K. Galson, issued a statement about the dangers of asbestos. This statement was welcomed by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and the US Senate as they each urged the Surgeon General that the warning was necessary.
According to the Reuters report, “ADAO Congratulates the Acting U.S. Surgeon General, Steven K. Galson, and Thanks the U.S. Senate for Efforts to Encourage Warning About Asbestos Danger”:
Every reputable United States and international health agency including the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the American Cancer Society agree there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Most recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reconfirmed that all commercial asbestos fibers - including chrysotile, the most commercially used form of asbestos - cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. In addition, the IARC newly confirmed that there is sufficient evidence that asbestos causes ovarian cancer and reconfirmed asbestos causes laryngeal cancer.
In his statement, the Surgeon General drew attention to the fact that, “…there is no level of asbestos exposure that is known to be safe and minimizing your exposure will minimize your risk of developing asbestos-related disease.” Acknowledging this important information, the ADAO believes that the Surgeon General’s statement highlights the need for a full scale ban on all asbestos material and manufacturing.
The Surgeon General released his statement to kick-off “National Asbestos Awareness Week”, which falls during the first week of April each year.
Read the “Statement from Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson about National Asbestos Week”.
