In This Issue
President's Message
Save the Date: 12th Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference "
Featured Video: Jordan Zevon
Ambler Asbestos Educational Program
"Homeowners Beware - Don't Do It Yourself" by Christine Winter
Investigation Finds Asbestos Fibers in Crayons and Toys from China
Asbestos Nation - EWG Action Fund: Tests Find Asbestos in Kids' Crayons, Crime Scene Kits
Guest Asbestos Blog "Crayons of Cancer" by Alok Gupta
Take Action For TSCA Reform Today
Briefing: Staffers Recognized the Ongoing Threat of Asbestos
Do You Have a Story from AK, DE, KS, ME, MO, ND, OK, RI, SC, SH, CA, or WY?
Support the Miles for Meso Race on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day September 26!
2015 Mesothelioma Action Day Speech, "I Obtained Mesothelioma by Washing My Husbands Clothes" by Mavis Nye
Interview: Domani Tripam on the 2nd Annual "I Know a Superhero Family Fun Festival"
Congressional Staff Briefing Dedicated to Paul Zygielbaum, Inspirational Ban Asbestos Advocate
AFeVA: The Relentless Quest for Truth and Justice Against Stephan Schmidheiny
London Hazards Centre's Mesothelioma Action Day
Featured ADAO Resource of the Month
Roll Call OP-ED: Americans Face an Irreversible Rollback in Chemical Safety by Linda Reinstein
Upworthy: About Heather Von St. James
Upworthy: About Libby, MT
Upworthy: About Steve McQueen
Italy: "Ex-Pirelli managers jailed over asbestos deaths"
Collegium Ramazzini Publishes "The Global Health Dimensions of Asbestos and Asbestos-Related Diseases"
Baltimore Sun: There is little research on rare lung cancer after years of deaths
"Nothing Short of A Miracle" - Barry's Story
"Facing Life with Strength and Hope" - John's Story
Global Asbestos and Mesothelioma Event Calendar
NEW Infographic: 2000-2015 The Legislative Costs of Inaction
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President's Message
 
Fifteen years after the Seattle Post Intelligencer's product testing found asbestos in U.S. consumer products and toys and eight years after ADAO's testing found similar asbestos contamination in consumer products, Congress still has not banned asbestos! Just a few months ago, the EWG Action Fund found asbestos in toys sold in the U.S., painting a disturbing picture of our government's legislative inaction since 2000. ADAO has published a new infographic: "2000-2015 The Legislative Costs of Inaction" to quantify the costs of this inaction; though we all know that the true costs in dollars and tears are immeasurable.
 
Our 8th Congressional Briefing, "Asbestos: Impact on Consumer Safety, Public Health, and Asbestos Victims' Civil Rights," on July 15 was standing room only! The outstanding attendance was a direct result of you calling your state legislators - thank you! ADAO also sends huge kudos to Mike Mattmuller, Ann Samuleson, Heather Von St. James, and Jordan Zevon for their passionate presentations.

As we work to improve legislation and drive awareness, the "Summer of Sharing" becomes especially important. Every Share Your Story you submit,  Facebook post you share, and person you educate about asbestos gets us closer and closer to the asbestos ban we all deserve.
 
Thank you to ADAO's many volunteers, leadership, speakers, and supporters. We are especially grateful to our 2015 sponsors: Platinum Sponsors Motley Rice LLC and the  Simmons Hanly Conroy, LLC; Gold Sponsor Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett; and Silver Sponsor Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney and Meisenkothen who have made our work possible!  

As always, my thanks,

 

Linda Reinstein, Social Networks


FEATURED VIDEO



At ADAO's 8th Congressional Briefing, Jordan Zevon, ADAO's National Spokesperson and son of the late Warren Zevon, presented the history of asbestos product testing since 2000, highlighting the inaction of U.S. lawmakers in banning and regulating asbestos when faced with the reality of its pervasive presence.  Read more.

EDUCATION


This free educational event at the First Presbyterian Church of Ambler on
August 17th at 7pm will give Ambler area residents access to the latest prevention and asbestos-related disease information.

Please RSVP and submit your questions via the online form or by emailing Marilyn@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.
 
Topics & Presenters:
  • Opening - Marilyn Amento, Ambler Resident, Mesothelioma Widow, ADAO Volunteer
  • Where is Asbestos? What Do You Do With It? - Brent Kynoch, Managing Director of Environmental Information Association (EIA)
  • Diagnosing and Treating Asbestos-Related Diseases - Keith Cengel, MD, PhD, Radiation Oncologist, Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program 
  • Prevention: Where Knowledge Meets Action - Linda Reinstein, President/CEO & Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), Mesothelioma Widow
  • What's Happening in Ambler - Citizens for a Better Ambler

We live in an amazing world of social media which allows us to access information from all over the world...however, not all information is good information. I recently came across a piece of guidance from a DIY site, it gave clear instructions on how to remove asbestos pipe lagging in the home. These instructions were for DIY'ers, people like you and me and whilst it may be legal in some countries to do that type of removal work, it would be illegal UK and highly dangerous for an unqualified or untrained individual trying to remove asbestos pipe lagging.

So what's the big deal? ...
So how dangerous is it? ...

A recent Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund product testing identified asbestos, a known carcinogen, in children's toys and crayons once again. This comes 15 years after the Seattle Post Intelligencer confirmed that asbestos had been found in crayons and 8 years after ADAO confirmed asbestos in five consumer products, including a child's toy. EWG Action Fund's recently published investigation found asbestos in four of the 28 boxes of crayons and two of the 21 kids' fingerprinting kits purchased online and at store. Read more...
 
 

Thank you to Alok Gupta, an ADAO partner and journalist from India, for his guest blog!

"This is not the first time that asbestos has been detected in crayons. Similar tests in the year 2000 and 2007, considerable amount of asbestos were detected in the crayons. Agencies like Consumer Product Safety Commission that monitors toy safety in the US have remained silent on these killer crayons that might be creating havoc on children's health."Read more...

ADVOCACY

TAKE ACTION FOR TSCA REFORM TODAY

 

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Familes came together in 2009 to fight for meaningful reform of the failed Toxic Substances Control Act. ADAO has been an important member. Right now, the House has passed reform legislation, but Senate legislation (S. 697) is pending. The bill has critical flaws, but there is still time to the Senate to fix them. Join us and send a letter to your senators urging them to oppose the bill until these fixes are made.

You called, they came.

Nearly 100 Congressional staffers attended ADAO's July 15 Congressional Briefing, "Asbestos: Impact on Consumer Safety, Public Health, and Asbestos Victims' Civil Rights," well exceeding our expectations! For more information, use the ADAO 2015 U.S. Congressional Staff Briefing documents linked below:

COMMUNITY

We are missing Share Your Stories from the following states: Alaska, Delaware, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming. If your State's flag is in this graphic, and you have a Story to Share, please share it here. The more stories that are shared, the more voices that are heard. Read More ...

Join ADAO in Supporting the Miles for Meso Race on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day September 26!

The 2015 Miles for Meso 5K Race and 2K Fun Run/Walk is coming up on Saturday, September 26th in Alton, Illinois! This event is an amazing opportunity to raise awareness on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day and fuel action. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is honored to once again be named the beneficiary of the 2015 race, an initiative of the Simmons Mesothelioma Foundation.

There are three ways to support ADAO and National Mesothelioma Awareness Day! As a runner, virtual runners, or in support or memory of a Mesothelioma Warrior.

Special thanks to the 2015 ADAO Mesothelioma Warrior Virtual Team Captains: Herman, Lou, Ann, Heather, Sandra, Courtney, Jessica, and Jennifer for coordinating efforts around the world. BIG thanks to Jessica too for the Miles for Meso graphics!


Thank you, Mavis Nye, for sharing your 2015 Mesothelioma Action Day Speech!

"I obtained Mesothelioma by washing my Husbands clothes when he came home from work at the Chatham Dockyard, He was a Shipwright. After his apprenticeship and then National service he returned to the Dockyard. This is when he worked with Asbestos, the lagers lagged everywhere in the ships as they were being refitted.
 
I lived a wonderful healthy life and then I retired in 2000 sold our house and moved to the Coast bought a Motorhome and settled into retirement. The story of Mesothelioma began." Read more...
Domani Tripam has been raising asbestos awareness and advocating on behalf of asbestos victims since her father, David (or "SuperDad") was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2011. Seeing the experience their dad had to go through, Domani and her family were inspired to start the Mesothelioma Heroes Foundation to help the heroes affected by mesothelioma by raising public awareness, providing educational information, providing support to others, and promoting funding for treatment and a cure.

ADAO is thrilled to support Domani and her family's 2nd Annual "I Know A Superhero Family Fun Festival" event on August 22, 2015, and is honored to be the recipient of their fundraising efforts. Read more...
Our 8th Congressional Staff Briefing on July 15 was dedicated to Paul Zygielbaum, an amazing Mesothelioma Warrior, tireless ban asbestos advocate, and the 2007 ADAO Product Testing visionary and manager. Paul has personally battled mesothelioma for almost 2 decades, yet still selflessly advocates for a ban on asbestos and to protect asbestos victims' civil rights.

Paul's work has been instrumental in so many ways. Please join us in thanking Paul for all that he does! Read more...

Yet again, the Swiss tycoon and convicted asbestos criminal, Stephan Schmidheiny, is in the news. For years, the Association of Asbestos Victims Families (AFeVA), has worked tirelessly fighting for truth, justice, and to hold Eternit accountable for human rights violations and environmental damages.

 

Although it may take Italy's Constitutional Court 6 - 8 months to rule on whether or not Stephan Schmidheiny can be tried a second time, we can all join in unity and support for the thousands of asbestos victims who have and continue to suffer from the Eternit's asbestos man-made disaster.


ADAO sends our support and reaffirms our solidarity to the AFeVA and the global community in our shared quest for truth, justice, and a world without asbestos.


London Hazards Centre's Mesothelioma Action Day event brought together mesothelioma victims, occupational health and safety leaders, unions, medical and scientific experts, and concerned citizens. ADAO was thrilled to speak to this enthusiastic international audience!

The event provided not only an excellent opportunity to share information, but also to meet with other presenters at the event. In fact, our presentation was followed by that of Gail Cartmail, the Assistant General Secretary of Unite the Union, which focuses on campaigning for better terms and conditions for union members in the construction, energy, finance, and public service sectors. Read more...

FEATURED ADAO RESOURCE

Hear Asbestos. Think Prevention. 
Featured ADAO Resource

 

For 11 years, ADAO has developed, aggregated, and shared asbestos information. Moving forward, ADAO will highlight one educational resource every month that can be read and shared in order to raise awareness and prevent asbestos-related diseases. 

 

Check out this month's featured ADAO Prevention page with information about:

ADAO's prevention efforts are guided by its expert Prevention Advisory Board.  Read more about our Board Members here.

Stay tuned for future featured infographics, blogs, and articles about prevention, exposure, finding treatment centers, and a number of other important topics. Read more...


ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS


Nearly forty years ago, Congress recognized the dire need to protect the public from toxic chemicals with the passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Unfortunately, 1976 TSCA has failed miserably, and the EPA has only managed to ban five chemicals since 1976. 

Read More ...


When Heather Von St. James was 36 years old, her doctor gave her a horrible diagnosis. When the doctor said the words "malignant pleural mesothelioma," Heather was terrified. Most people who receive that diagnosis only live for a couple more years, tops. And Heather had a 3-month-old daughter to care for Read more...

In many ways, Libby is like any other small town. It sits nestled between bits of national forest, it has a train station and a few schools (go Loggers!), and for many years its economy was supported by the nearby logging and mining operations. But in other ways, Libby is very different.

Libby has a heartbreaking story to tell. Read more...

Do you remember the actor Steve McQueen?...

Steve McQueen was the King of Cool. He was an avid race car enthusiast and earned a fair bit of cash while motorcycle racing in the 1950s. In 1974, he became the highest-paid movie star in the world. Everything he did was just. so. cool. Acting, racing, smoking cigarettes (which, let's be real, is not cool, but people thought it was cool, so we'll give him a tiny break). Read more...

Eleven former managers at the Italian tyre manufacturer, Pirelli, were convicted of manslaughter on Wednesday over the asbestos-related deaths of 24 workers. The workers contracted tumours linked to asbestos exposure while working at the company's factories during the 1970s and 80s, Ansa reported. Read more...

The Collegium Ramazzini (CR) reaffirms its long-standing position that responsible public health action is to ban all extraction and use of asbestos, including chrysotile. Read more...
Jen Blair, a 43-year-old substitute teacher who lives in Baltimore County, said it took months for doctors to figure out what was causing severe pain in her abdomen in 2007. They blamed it on gynecological issues and a family member even accused her of being a hypochondriac and suffering from postpartum depression. Finally, a CAT scan determined the truth." Read more about Jen and the need to fund research for a cure.

SHARE YOUR STORY


  

   

GLOBAL CALENDAR

Stay tuned for more upcoming "Sharing Makes Us Stronger" events!

ADAO's new infographic highlights some of the human costs of legislative inaction over the last 15 years. During this "Summer of Sharing," please share this infographic with your friends, family, and colleagues! Read more...
ADAO New Website
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is an independent global organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, and community. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org