The son of the late singer and songwriter Warren Zevon spoke at the most recent Asbestos Awareness Day, the sixth annual such conference organized by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). The conference took place in Chicago, Illinois, and worked to illuminate the reality of asbestos disease in the United States and the world. The ADAO aims to achieve a total ban on the use of asbestos products, and champions tightening regulations and improved health and safety measures.
Warren Zevon, possibly best known for his 1978 hit “Werewolves in London”, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, in 2002. He died the following year.
Jordan Zevon spoke of his dad at the sixth annual Asbestos Awareness Day not only as a legendary musician but also as a good father and a close friend. Many other people including mesothelioma patients, affected family members, scientists, doctors and researches spoke at the conference. In addition to recognizing the deep injury that the negligent handling of asbestos has caused families across America, the speakers also emphasized the shortcomings inherent in failing to ban the carcinogenic substance.
Australia, New Zealand, and many nations across the European Union completely banned asbestos years ago. Some of those nations even took the additional step of requiring public buildings to have all asbestos materials used in their construction safely removed and replaced in order to protect public health.
While the United States Environmental Protection Agency did initially instate a ban on asbestos in 1989, it was overturned just two years later when the EPA was sued by Corrosion Proof Fittings, a company that produced asbestos products. Today, while regulations are enforced at state and federal levels requiring certain safe handling and disposal procedures when handling asbestos, its use in certain products is still legal.
The ill effects of asbestos in the workplace are well known, and many organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) have worked to decrease contamination and increase awareness of the dangers of the substance.
“The tragedy of occupational cancers resulting from asbestos, benzene and other carcinogens is that it takes so long for science to be translated into protective action,” said the Director of Public Health and Environment for the WHO, Dr. Maria Neira.
“Known and preventable exposures are clearly responsible for hundreds of thousands of excess cancer cases each year. In the interests of protecting our health, we must adopt an approach rooted in primary prevention; that is to make workplaces free from carcinogenic risks.”
