FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 13, 2024
ASBESTOS DISEASE AWARENESS ORGANIZATION RELEASES NEW BOOK: 200 STORIES FROM ASBESTOS VICTIMS & FAMILIES
The Collection of Stories Explores the Pain, Loss, and Resilience of Asbestos Warriors and Their Families
Washington, DC – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure through education, advocacy, and community work, today announced the release of “Shared Stories: How Asbestos Changed Our Lives Forever, as part of its 20th Anniversary International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference, “Exploring the Intersection of Asbestos Prevention, Policy, and the Law,” on September 14, 2024, at The Westin Crystal City Reagan National Airport, Arlington.
“Every 13 minutes, an American dies from an asbestos-related disease. The suffering is unimaginable, and the financial toll on families and the healthcare system is staggering—yet these deaths are entirely preventable,” said Linda Reinstein, president and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
These stories put a human face to the statistics and have helped us secure bipartisan support for policy change. They’ve appeared in the media, helped to raise national awareness of the ongoing dangers of asbestos, and kept the memories of our loved ones alive as ADAO fights to end asbestos disease forever. They illustrate the devastating impact of asbestos on each patient and family while showcasing the power of hope and the need for change.
“Despite decades of advocacy, we remain entangled in congressional gridlock and incomplete regulatory processes that continue to allow asbestos to harm our communities. For 20 years, ADAO has fought for change alongside thousands of asbestos warriors and their families whose courageous battles are at the heart of our advocacy efforts. We are honored to release this collection of 200 stories, which we will continue to share to honor those we’ve lost as we fight to stop any other family from experiencing the suffering and grief asbestos has caused,” Reinstein stated.
The book includes a foreword from award-winning photojournalist Earl Dotter, whose work has documented some of the most dangerous jobs in America and is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In his forward, Dotter writes, “This book is more than a collection of stories—it’s a call to action. It reminds us why we must continue to fight for a global ban on asbestos, for better protections for workers, and support for those affected by asbestos-related diseases.”
Despite what many believe, asbestos is still not banned in the United States. It remains a legal and lethal danger, hidden in our homes, schools, workplaces, and even consumer products. While 70 other countries have banned asbestos, the U.S. continues to allow its import and use.
In the coming weeks and months, ADAO will share this collection of stories with elected officials and policymakers to underscore the devastating human cost of their continued inaction on a full and complete asbestos ban and urge them to move forward with the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act (S.1069 and H.R.2402).
ARBAN would prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution of commercial asbestos in commerce. The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), American Public Health Association (APHA), American Cancer Society (ACS), Collegium Ramazzini, and The Environmental Information Association (EIA).
A digital version of “Shared Stories: How Asbestos Impacted Our Lives Forever can be found online. ADAO has collected stories from its community for more than a decade and will continue to expand and add to the archive of stories until asbestos is banned in the United States and around the world.
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