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You are here: Home / Archives for Asbestos / Conference

Asbestos Conference Information

Stories about asbestos conference information, The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, ADAO

FDA Examined Asbestos Testing in Talc Products

February 11, 2020 By Ben DuBose

It was 1971 the last time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) examined asbestos testing in talc products in powders and cosmetics. The subject came to the forefront after finding traces of asbestos in several talc cosmetics and powders including a bottle of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, toy makeup kits for children from IQ Toys and other products, among them crayons and other makeup marketed to children and preteens over the past few years.

Why asbestos testing after almost 50 years?

The talc industry has long operated with little oversight from the FDA. In fact, manufacturers of talc products have no requirement to test for asbestos even now.

There has been a growing outcry from the public to ensure talc is clear of any asbestos as more and more people have pointed to asbestos-containing talc as the cause of various cancers. Recommendations were published last month from a panel of government experts. These experts were public health authorities and knowledgeable authorities on asbestos who defended plaintiffs who alleged contaminated talc products caused their cancers. They, and others, requested a “thorough review of the most effective and reliable ways to test for asbestos in cosmetic talc.”

Despite evidence to the contrary, industry groups criticize the recommendations asserting these would not improve safety. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) continues to defend the safety of its talc. They cited no asbestos was found in the samples provided to the labs hired by J&J. However, a 2018 Reuters report proved J&J knew for decades their raw talc and powders did test positive for asbestos, but they did not report that to the FDA.

How are asbestos and talc connected?

When mined, the two minerals are often found in the same areas. Collecting only talc is difficult. Both minerals have such small particles that they can be inhaled into the lungs and cause diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.

At the February 4th hearing, a government toxicologist said, “a wide range of spear-shaped mineral particles – including but not limited to asbestos – can start the development of cancer and should be part of any new testing regime.

What are EMPs?

While milling talc, the process breaks down contaminants into elongated mineral particles (EMPs). A senior adviser with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Christopher Weis, stated at the meeting, “All EMPs have the ability to trigger” development of cancer and other diseases. “Short EMPs are not conventionally counted or included in lab reports. As a toxicologist, this is unacceptable.”

On the other side, Mark Pollak COO of a 600 member trade group, the Personal Care Products Council, said counting more mineral particles as potentially harmful is not supported by science and could provide misleading reports.

What happens with asbestos testing now?

According to Dr. Linda Katz, director of the FDA’s office of cosmetics and colors, experts from the FDA and other agencies will publish a white paper after a continued study on these issues. The date of the white paper is unknown and there is no deadline for deciding if there will be new rules on testing.

Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), implored the FDA to advocate for more stringent testing and recommended a warning label be affixed to talc products to alert consumers to the possibility of asbestos present in the talc. Faber said at the hearing, “It’s time to end the honor system which has failed consumers for so long. Let’s not wait another 50 years to finally protect consumers.”

Filed Under: Asbestos, Asbestos safety regulations, Conference, Dallas mesothelioma lawyer, Louisiana asbestos attorney, Mesothelioma Tagged With: asbestos testing, FDA asbestos testing, Talc and asbestos

Mesothelioma Awareness Day and ADAO, the Group that Started it All

September 26, 2018 By Ben DuBose

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, ADAO, was the group that started it all. It began in 2004 when two people, Doug Larkin and Linda Reinstein, who had loved ones suffering from mesothelioma saw a need and worked to find a way to stop this deadly disease. They found it through the ADAO as they began spreading the message about asbestos and mesothelioma.

Today is Mesothelioma Awareness Day, started by ADAO, and a perfect time to look at this amazing organization that makes fighting for past, current, and future victims of asbestos its goal.

The journey

Caring for, and watching their family members die, put the founders in contact with others going through the same painful journey – a journey that could be prevented for the generations to come if the mineral at the heart of it all could be banned. Fourteen years later, it is still not banned in the United States, but is in many parts of the world.

This group started slowly but gathered momentum as other victims and their family members learned of its existence. Today, thanks to people from all walks of life: patients, caregivers, and a host of donors and volunteers, the ADAO boasts a network of over 50,000 people who share in this quest to eradicate mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases from the world.

More than a ban

While the ADAO does strive for a ban, their mission goes beyond that with three initiatives: education, advocacy, and community.

Education

The ADAO has gathered a built an extensive library that is shared throughout the globe, along with a website brimming with information about asbestos and what you can do. There are speakers at conferences and events around the world presenting opportunities to interact and share information with others on similar missions. Each year, the ADAO hosts its own conference, the International Asbestos Awareness Conference where the latest information on the status of prevention and treatments is shared. In 2019, the conference will be in Washington, D.C. on April 5-7.

Advocacy

Since 2004, the ADAO has presented 13 staff briefings for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. They’ve created and sponsored a bill, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, that is supported by both the House and the Senate. This bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finally – and permanently – remove the possibility of all human or environmental asbestos exposure.

Community

Caring for someone suffering from mesothelioma is an isolating experience. Linda Reinstein experienced that as she cared for her husband and knew it was an important part of the ADAO mission to support those with the disease and those caring for them. There are groups throughout social media to provide contacts and support without leaving home, there are campaigns, like “Share Your Story” and “6 Word Quotes” that educate about the dangers of asbestos and unite those living with the aftermath of exposure.

The fight continues

Until asbestos is banned throughout the world and there is no one suffering any longer from this disease, the ADAO will continue to fight to educate, support, and bring the issues of exposure to those in government who can make a difference.

You can sign a petition to the EPA for a final ban on asbestos, follow the ADAO on Facebook and Twitter, and get their eNewsletter – all ways to stay informed.

Filed Under: Articles, Asbestos, Conference, Dallas mesothelioma lawyer, Louisiana asbestos attorney, Mesothelioma, News Tagged With: abestos lawyer dallas, dallas asbestos attorney, Dallas mesothelioma lawyer, mesothelioma attorney

SPREP Countries Vote to Ban Asbestos

September 29, 2017 By Ben DuBose

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP,) comprising 21 Pacific island and five metropolitan areas, voted to “restrict the importation, re-use and re-sale of products and wastes containing asbestos in Pacific island countries.”

The impetus for this move was the Rotterdam Convention’s failure in past years to list chrysotile asbestos on Annex III of the Convention. That failure–combined with results of an asbestos baseline survey of the Pacific region in 2014–revealed new asbestos-containing building materials are still being imported into the region. In addition, the survey uncovered over 145,000 square meters of confirmed high or moderate risk non-residential asbestos across 11 Pacific island countries.

This 2014 survey was conducted by PacWaste, a project funded by the European Union. Prior votes to ban asbestos at SPREP meetings were hampered by concerns for resourcing implementation of such a ban. The current vote to ban was supported by an announcement that the European Union would provide funding through a new project called PacWaste Plus.

Mr. Christoph Wagner, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation for the Pacific, recognized this achievement saying, “We welcome this decision from Pacific Island nations to work towards joining 59 other countries, including all member states of the European Union, to ban asbestos. It’s a fantastic outcome for the health and wellbeing of communities across the Pacific region, and an effective recognition of the work undertaken through PacWaste and planned for PacWaste Plus.”

Unfortunately, the United States has not yet fully banned asbestos. Since asbestos-related diseases, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, can take up to 50 years before diagnosis, it is important that a full ban of asbestos importation and use in products become law to save the lives of current and future generations.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Conference, International asbestos developments Tagged With: Asbestos, asbestos cancer, asbestos exposure, asbestos health, asbestos lawfirm dallas, asbestos lawyer dallas, asbestos lawyer Louisiana, asbestos lawyer New Mexico, asbestos lawyer oklahoma, asbestos lawyer pennsylvania, asbestos lawyers texas, asbestos lung cancer, asbestos regulations

Asbestos Awareness Observed

April 6, 2017 By Ben DuBose

The non-profit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) dedicated April 1-7 to spreading the word about the dangers of asbestos exposure through a Global Asbestos Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “Hear Asbestos. Think Prevention.”

Why is there a week dedicated to asbestos awareness?

Deaths from asbestos are preventable with a ban on use and widespread education on handling of asbestos already in place. Yet, almost 70% of the world – including the U.S. – still allows its use. This lethal mineral has far-reaching consequences, as diseases from asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma, may not be diagnosed for 50 years.

By dedicating a week to educate the public about the risks of asbestos and their prevention, people are empowered to speak up when they recognize instances of possible asbestos harm. Harmful situations observed could include contractors tearing down or remodeling pre-1980s buildings – residences and commercial – without testing for asbestos, workplace situations where asbestos was used for insulation from high temperature areas such as boilers and is still in place but damaged, or for do-it-yourself projects in an older home without testing insulation, tiles, or floor mastic. While there is promising research for treatment leading to a cure, mesothelioma remains a terminal disease.

The 2017 ADAO Conference

The ADAO further educates through the ADAO Conference, held this year from April 7 – 9 in Arlington, VA. This group not only educates the public, but congressmen and other politicians who control the ability to ban asbestos and put in stricter regulations on the asbestos already in use. ADAO was instrumental in the 2016 passage of the Lautenberg Act, which strengthened the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and prioritized asbestos as one of ten chemicals to be regulated. This move was anticipated as an action that would finally ban asbestos in the United States. With a new administration and a new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), passage of a total ban is still unknown.

How to comment on an asbestos ban

If you want to make your voice heard in the quest for a ban, the phone number for the office of Scott Pruitt is 202-564-4700. Leave a respectful and short message about why you believe a ban is necessary.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Cancer, Conference Tagged With: Asbestos, asbestos cancer, asbestos exposure, asbestos health, asbestos lawyer dallas, asbestos lawyer Louisiana, asbestos lawyer New Mexico, asbestos lawyer oklahoma, asbestos lawyer pennsylvania, asbestos lawyers texas, Mesothelioma, mesothelioma attorney

Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference 2016

April 8, 2016 By Ben DuBose

Today ends Asbestos Awareness Week and begins the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s (ADAO) 12th Annual International Conference. This year’s theme is “Where Knowledge and Action Unite” and will be held in Washington D.C.

This conference brings over 300 experts, victims, unions, and lawmakers from throughout the world. It’s an opportunity to hear renowned speakers, discuss, and learn more about joint interests and efforts to create more awareness of the disease and the push for prevention through education and advocacy.

ADAO is the only U.S. nonprofit that organizes annual conferences specifically for the prevention and elimination of asbestos-related diseases. Topics discussed will include:

  • Progress and Challenges from the Frontline
  • Medical Advancements: Diagnosing and Treating Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-Related Diseases
  • Prevention: What Is It? Where Is It? What Do I Do?
  • Advocacy: Global Ban Asbestos Action

The goal of ADAO is a world without asbestos and without asbestos-related diseases. You can join in and learn more by signing up for their eNewsletter and following them on Facebook.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Cancer, Conference Tagged With: Asbestos, asbestos cancer, asbestos health, asbestos lawyer dallas, asbestos lawyer Louisiana, asbestos lawyer oklahoma, asbestos lawyer pennsylvania, asbestos lawyers texas

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