Posted on March 30, 2021
2021 Global Asbestos Awareness Week || Day ONE – April 1st: Asbestos: One Word. One Week. One World.
Day ONE: Remembering Alan Reinstein (USA) — Read his story “I’ll Do Anything to Fight Mesothelioma to Have More Time with My Family, Anything”
Featured Video: “Asbestos: The Killer You Can’t See”
Press Release: ADAO Launches 17th Annual “Global Asbestos Awareness Week” April 1-7, 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 carcinogen, and there is no safe level of exposure. While promising research continues, prevention remains the only cure.
Today, on day one of GAAW, we’re sharing the most important message of the week: “One Word. One Week. One World.” When you hear asbestos, think prevention. Asbestos-caused diseases are 100% preventable and are only caused by unnecessary exposure. During this week, we bring together our global community to fight for an asbestos ban and end all asbestos-caused diseases and exposure. Today will also feature the story of Alan Reinstein: “I’ll Do Anything to Fight Mesothelioma to Have More Time with My Family, Anything”. 
Without a ban, asbestos remains legal and lethal in nearly 70% of countries around the world, including the United States. Since 2005, the U.S. has paid $16,309,323 to import 16,497 metric tons of asbestos and buried an estimated 600,000 Americans due to asbestos-caused diseases. This is why GAAW is so important: we cannot lose more Americans. Currently, prevention and awareness are the only tools we have to save lives.
Thanks to many, what started as a single “Asbestos Awareness Day” in 2005 then expanded to “Asbestos Awareness Week” in 2007. Over the years, Asbestos Awareness Week went global, and we started translating our materials into numerous languages to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. After years of growing GAAW, we can see the global impact it has. ADAO is grateful to the many champions, stakeholders, and allies that have made our work possible. Check out the Asbestos Awareness Day/Week history from 2005 – 2021.
For five years, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) has led the charge in the Senate to pass the National Asbestos Awareness Week Resolution. The resolution allows ADAO to spread our education, prevention, and awareness materials to a global audience.
In addition to Sen. Tester, we are grateful to Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), who in 2017 began championing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN). During the past four years, we have taken many landmark steps today. ARBAN is the most comprehensive bill put before Congress in 30 years. It would not only ban asbestos but would also require an exhaustive study of legacy asbestos, which can still be found in our homes, schools, offices, and in the environment today.
In 2019, under the leadership of Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), ARBAN bill passed out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce with overwhelmingly bipartisan support of 47-1. The bipartisan support is clear proof that banning asbestos and saving lives is something members on both sides of the aisle can get behind.
We are delighted to collaborate with our 2021 GAAW Partners for Prevention: Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (@IOSH_tweets), Environmental Information Association (@EIA_USA), and the Mavis Nye Foundation (@MavisNye). Join the conversation online by using #2021GAAW and follow daily content by using the hashtag #2021GAAW.
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.
Together, we make change happen.
Linda Reinstein
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