BBC: Deaths from Mesothelioma at All-Time High
According to new research from BBC Look East, a branch of the British Broadcasting Corporation, cancer deaths from asbestos, such as mesothelioma, are at an all-time high. And they are expected to rise for the next five years.
Since the 1980s in the eastern areas of England, the male death rate from mesothelioma has increased more than four-fold, from 14.8 per million between 1982 and 1984 to 66.4 million between 2006 and 2008. This increase is far ahead of those in neighboring Scotland and Wales, and outstrips most other regions in England, according to numbers from the Health and Safety Executive.
In Essex alone, coroners reported 115 deaths from industrial disease in 2010.
Asbestos was used extensively in building materials throughout the UK up to 1999, when the material was banned. However, asbestos is still lurking in many older building materials, and even though there has been a big push to place warning signs on any materials or areas that may be contaminated, asbestos is still a serious hazard in the UK today.
Commonly labeled the “silent killer,” asbestos is responsible for more than 107,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sadly, asbestos is not banned everywhere, and some countries continue to import asbestos and asbestos-containing products today.
Asbestos is linked to a number of horrible asbestos-related diseases, including cancers such as mesothelioma and certain types of lung cancer. Asbestos has also been known to cause other diseases, such as asbestosis. And, sadly, while many people think that asbestos is thing of the past, the number of people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases is still very high, even in the developed world. In fact, a New York Times article cited a study that asbestos-related diseases could severely increase in Asia in the next 20 years.
The global battle against asbestos is still going on today. Amazingly, asbestos is still not banned in the U.S., primarily due to powerful lobbying by asbestos companies. Yet, this has rarely received any kind of media attention and there is very little national awareness about the issue. In fact, many families impacted by asbestos disease know little about the sad truth of asbestos before someone they loved is affected.
Please visit Mesothelioma News’ dedicated Facebook page Fight Mesothelioma, for information, community and outreach. Most importantly, this page stands as a reminder of the devastating power of asbestos and the importance of knowing that you are not alone in dealing with this horrible cancer.
