Posted on December 14, 2022
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) would like to congratulate Brazil on both their recent asbestos ban, and the unveiling of the new Asbestos Victims Memorial- the Lung Tree Monument.
The monument stands tall to represent the lives lost due to asbestos-related illnesses and features the name of over 600 Brazilians impacted by the man made carcinogen. The monument bore witness to the unnecessary suffering and deaths caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a known carcinogen. There is no safe level of exposure or controlled use of asbestos. Brazil has come to understand the amount of suffering and death caused by asbestos and not only banned the carcinogen but honors the lives it has taken. 
We would like to give special recognition to Fernanda Giannassi and ABREA who have worked tirelessly over the years to make this ban a reality. As a partner in prevention, we are hopeful the U.S. will follow suit and take the steps to protect public health by banning asbestos and saving the more than 40,000 American lives that are lost each year due to asbestos.
As Canada and Brazil both now have erected monuments in honor of asbestos victims, it brings us hope that the United States will shortly follow, and that as we move forward with our fight, those lives lost along the way will never be forgotten.
In Unity,
Linda Reinstein