Posted on March 30, 2021

2021 Global Asbestos Awareness Week || Day FIVE – April 5th: Global Action to Ban Asbestos in the USA
Day FIVE: Featuring Julie (USA) — Read her story “The Power of Public Health Advocacy: A Patient’s Perspective”
Featured Video: “Amianto: O assassino que você não pode ver”
Press Release (Portuguese): A Organização de Consciencialização sobre a Asbestose (ADAO) Lança a 17.ª “Semana Global Anual de Consciencialização sobre o Amianto”, que terá lugar de 1 a 7 de abril de 2021

Each year, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) dedicates April 1-7 to increasing awareness of asbestos and preventing exposure by bringing together experts and victims from around the world to share, learn, and take action. To view all 7 days of Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW) content, please click here. Be sure to follow the conversation on social media with our GAAW hashtag: #2021GAAW.

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen, and there is no safe level of exposure. While promising research continues, prevention remains the only cure. 

Today, on day five of GAAW we are examining what it means to take action. Today will also feature the story of Julie Gundlach, “The Power of Public Health Advocacy: A Patient’s Perspective.”

In order to create a global community fighting for a comprehensive asbestos ban, we need our message to spread far and wide. This year, we created a Change.org petition to gather community support from around the world.   

The petition calls on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban asbestos once and for all, with no loopholes or exemptions. EPA has now spent decades of time and taxpayer dollars on asbestos research. They know it is deadly, yet hundreds of tons of raw asbestos are allowed every year to be imported and used in our country. It’s long past time that EPA bans this deadly material once and for all. Enough is enough.

At almost 150,000 signatures, ADAO is incredibly close to our goal of total petition supporters. By signing the petition, you are raising your voice and telling EPA and Congress that it is time to protect public health and ban this deadly carcinogen. 

We hope you’ll add your name to the petition today, so that tomorrow, we are one step closer to banning asbestos. 

We are excited to announce that registration for our 16th Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference will be opening in May 2021! The conference will be virtual this year, and we are excited to share this event with viewers around the world to spread statistics, facts, and educational materials from leading asbestos experts and victims. Remember: when it comes to asbestos, learning truly does save lives.

Thank you to our Partners for Prevention SOS AMIANTO – Grupo português de Apoio às Vítimas do Amianto (SOS ASBESTOS – Portuguese Asbestos Victim Support Group) and and Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto (ABREA) for representing Portugal during GAAW. Find out more on SOS AMINAATtheir websites. 

Special thanks to our 2021 Platinum Sponsor Simmons Hanly Conroy.

Together, we make change happen.

Linda Reinstein
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