For Immediate Release: November 17, 2014
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) to Present at American Public Health Association (APHA) 142nd Annual Meeting and Expo
ADAO Joins Other Concerned Advocates to Present on the History and Impact of Asbestos on Occupational Health and Safety
Los Angeles, CA – November 17, 2014 – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), the largest independent non-profit organization in the U.S. which combines education, advocacy, and community to help ensure justice for asbestos victims; has been selected to present at the American Public Health Association 142nd Annual Meeting and Expo November 15-19 in New Orleans.
APHA’s Annual Meeting & Exposition is where public health professionals convene, learn, network and engage with peers. The annual meeting is focused on strengthening the profession of public health, sharing the latest research and information, promoting best practices and advocating for public health issues and policies grounded in research.
“ADAO is honored to be chosen as a part of the respected community of public health advocates at the 142nd APHA conference,” stated ADAO President and Co-Founder Linda Reinstein. “Although I cannot be there in person due to my participation at the Australian Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASAE) 1st Annual International Conference, I am thankful to my colleague Mark Catlin, for presenting, on our behalf, the important story about the role that asbestos awareness plays in furthering public health.”
On November 17, Mark Catlin, Occupational Health and Safety Director with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Washington, DC, will present on behalf of SEIU and ADAO, about the critical role of asbestos disease awareness in promoting and protecting public health. The presentation, titled “History and Impact of Asbestos on OHS in the U.S. and internationally,” will examine how asbestos has caused one of the largest man-made disasters. Between 1900 and 2013, the U.S. consumed 31 million metric tons of asbestos, which has given rise to continued occupational, environmental, and consumer exposure. Globally, an estimated 2 million tons of asbestos is mined each year, and the U.S. continues to import more than 1,000 tons annually. Equally problematic is the long latency period for asbestos disease to present that results in misdiagnosis and under-reporting. More than 50 countries have banned asbestos, but the U.S. has not. The presentation will provide a brief historical overview of the global asbestos crisis, address the inaccuracies in morbidity data, inadequacies in occupational health and safety protections, and regulatory violations. The presentation will also review progress and challenges in asbestos legislation, health education strategies and global advocacy to prevent exposure and to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.
Despite its known dangers, there is still no global ban on asbestos, and it continues to claim lives. Exposure to asbestos, a human carcinogen, can cause mesothelioma, lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers; as well as non-malignant lung and pleural disorders. The World Health Organization estimates that 107,000 workers around the world will die every year of an asbestos-related disease, equaling 300 deaths per day.
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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.
Media Contact:
Kim Cecchini
Media Relations
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
(202) 391-5205
Kim@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org