October 15th, 2007

Asbestos has received much negative attention, and many people think that the material has been banned in the United States. While bans on the material were placed in the 1980s, the material itself is still legal.

A Senator in Washington State has revitalized the Ban Asbestos in America bill, which would do exactly what its name says. Many people think that asbestos is already banned in America, which is not entirely true. While mining asbestos has been banned producing materials with asbestos is still in practice in this country. The asbestos is imported from other countries and used in roofing material, coatings and friction parts, like breaks. Items containing the material are also imported every day.

Since asbestos exposure can lead to respiratory diseases such as asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, some Senators are saying it is time to educate the public about the continued use of asbestos, while trying to ban the material completely. Asbestos is normally a safe material, with only a few types of asbestos having the potential of being deadly. When asbestos breaks apart it can be introduced into the body, either by breathing it in or ingesting it in water or food products.