News

Action Mesothelioma - Highlighting the dangers of asbestos in the home (14/3/2006)

A coalition led by the British Lung Foundation this week launched a year long campaign to inform the British public about the unseen dangers of asbestos in their homes and how exposure to the substance can lead to a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer called mesothelioma.

According to new research* by the British Lung Foundation, only 6% of people in the UK know what the disease is yet the deadly cancer kills one person every five hours in the UK and this figure is set to peak over the next decade.

The rising number of deaths from the condition is linked to the use of asbestos in the building industry up until the mid 1980Ős. The time between exposure to asbestos and developing mesothelioma can range from 15 to 60 years, with death coming within two years of diagnosis.

Additionally, whilst a surprising 20% of people surveyed claimed to know someone who was ill or who had died through exposure to asbestos and only 35% were aware that survival from diagnosis can be less than two years.

Action Mesothelioma Day held this week aimed to raise the profile of the condition through a series of planned events including talks by a patient and widow and the presentation to the government of a Patient Charter signed by more than 10,000 people.

However, the increasing number of people carrying out DIY and home improvements has also sparked fears that people could be exposing themselves to asbestos which was used as insulation materials in homes built between the 1950Ős and 1980Ős. Worryingly, the survey showed that 90% of people under 25 donŐt know what mesothelioma is. Therefore, Action Mesothelioma Day will alert people to this potential danger and the precautions they need to take when undertaking building work at home.

Speaking on behalf of the campaign, Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said, Ňmesothelioma destroys the lives of itŐs victims and their families. The time between diagnosis and death is short and in the vast majority of cases, people suffer a tortured and agonising death. We want to encourage more interest in mesothelioma and warn people about the precautions they can take to avoid exposure to asbestos in their homes.Ó

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Tens of thousands of people who worked with asbestos in the past will die prematurely after developing mesothelioma. These people must be given the support, care and treatment they need. At the same time we must prevent any further exposure.

"Even though asbestos is now a banned substance, tonnes and tonnes of the fatal fibre still exist in factories, schools and offices throughout the UK. To coincide with Action Mesothelioma Day, and to preventthousands more workers being needlessly exposed to asbestos in the future, the TUC has produced new materials to help safety reps alert their bosses and workmates to its potential presence in the workplace and to the dangers it poses."

www.lunguk.org