ADAO Releases PSA to Draw Attention to the Sad Truth of Asbestos Exposure

• Nancy Meredith
• Mesothelioma

With a mission to educate Americans, and the world, about the dangers of asbestos, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization often has to present the cold, hard facts of the dangers of asbestos. In a public service announcement released last week, the ADAO does just that by depicting the story of a young girl whose father died from the toxic mineral.

In partnership with Chocolate Moose Media, ADAO developed a 30-second video, “Asbestos: The Killer You Can’t See,” with a goal to spread asbestos awareness to youth, families, and workers around the globe, according to a May 16 press release from the ADAO. The video, that uses hand-drawn animation, depicts a young girl who loses her father to an asbestos-related disease.

http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/archives/43675

“Our goal was to make an emotional connection to the danger of asbestos rather than overwhelm viewers with statistics,” says Linda Reinstein, mesothelioma widow and President/CEO and co-founder of ADAO. “The simple truth is asbestos kills and prevention remains the only cure.”

Exposure to asbestos is the direct cause of multiple diseases including mesothelioma, asbestos is and lung cancer. Exposure tends to occur among workers in the construction, electrical, plumbing, boiler, auto and maritime industries, particularly during the removal of asbestos materials due to renovation, repairs, or demolition, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

When asbestos fibers become airborne they can easily be inhaled or ingested by workers or others nearby. The human body does not have the ability to break down these fibers, and the fibers can become lodged in the lining of the chest or abdomen, where, over the years, they begin to irritate the tissue, leading to mesothelioma.

The World Health Organization estimates that asbestos causes approximately half of all deaths from occupational cancer. In addition, 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace and nearly 107,000 die annually from asbestos exposure.

For this reason, the ADAO is reaching out across the globe and is offering the PSA in English and five other languages— Russian, Hindi, Portuguese, French, and Spanish. According to the press release, it is important to reach people in nations that continue to mine, use, and export asbestos.

Approximately 3,000 Americans die from mesothelioma each year. There is no cure for the cancer, and the only way to prevent it is to avoid exposure to asbestos.

“People are often unaware of the dangers posed by certain substances,” says Firdaus Kharas, founder of Chocolate Moose Media. “The lack of information can lead to deadly consequences. In this compelling hand-drawn video we warn about asbestos.”

Do your part to help ADAO get the word out about the dangers of asbestos. Share the video through your social media accounts.

Watch the PSA Video Here

About the ADAO

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by Linda Reinstein and Doug Larkin in 2004 and headquartered in Redondo Beach, California. ADAO is the largest independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, eliminating asbestos-related diseases, and protecting asbestos victims’ civil rights through education, advocacy, and community initiatives.

To find out more about ADAO visit its website at http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.