Though Mesothelioma Awareness Day was officially marked on Saturday, September 26th, advocates for mesothelioma victims are hoping that this year’s real celebration will come on Tuesday, September 29th. That’s when the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2019.
Nonprofit Group Hopes That Asbestos Ban Will Be Passed
The bill, which also goes by the name H.R. 1603, is named for Alan Reinstein. Reinstein died of malignant mesothelioma in May of 2006, and since that time his widow Linda has tirelessly pursued a national asbestos ban. If the bill passes it will then go to the Senate with the goal of finally banning the importation and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the United States within one year of its enactment.
Speaking of her hopes for the bill, Mrs. Reinstein said, “Today, on Mesothelioma Awareness Day, we are overjoyed to share that ARBAN will go to the U.S. House of Representatives floor for a vote. This bill will stop hundreds of metric tons of asbestos from entering the United States each year and will protect Americans from being exposed to the deadly threat of asbestos found in homes, schools, workplaces, and on consumer shelves.”
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Deaths Have Led to Ban in Nearly 70 Countries
Though the determination that asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma and other harmful diseases has led to the use of asbestos being significantly curtailed in the United States, the substance has never been banned. The United States trails nearly 70 countries around the world that have already taken this important step.
If passed, chlor-alkali plants, which are now the biggest user of asbestos products in the United States, would need to eliminate use of the carcinogen over a ten-year period, and importers and others involved in asbestos product distribution would need to notify the American public about how much asbestos is in use in the United States and who is exposed. There would be far greater controls on asbestos in consumer products and construction materials and the National Academy of Sciences would conduct research regarding the impact of asbestos currently in place in homes, businesses and other structures. You can read more about the Act here.
If you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another illness as a result of exposure to asbestos, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can provide you with invaluable resources. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
