Baron & Budd Joins WHO’s Call to End Asbestos-Related Diseases

World Health Organization Targets Asbestos as Still One of the Top 10 Chemicals of Major Public Concern

DALLAS–(May 21, 2010)–Baron & Budd, P.C. praised a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) that demands more action be taken to protect the public from hazardous chemicals. In particular, the WHO report focuses on 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals that are of major concern to public health. Some of the chemicals included on the list are air pollution, lead and asbestos.

According to the WHO, in recent years asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis from occupational exposures resulted in 107,000 deaths per year worldwide. The WHO adds that, in addition to this staggering number, thousands of deaths can be attributed to other asbestos-related diseases, as well as to non-occupational asbestos exposure.

Aside from asbestos, the WHO also notes indoor air pollution and urban outdoor air pollution are responsible for an estimated 3.1 million deaths every year. The WHO reports that air pollutants have been linked to a range of adverse health effects including respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.

“The World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have been instrumental in assessing the health risks associated with toxic substances and informing doctors and public health officials throughout the world of the continued health hazard associated with toxic substances,” said Baron & Budd. “The WHO has made clear that even short-term interactions with any type of asbestos can put people at risk of developing cancer, and that’s scary for anyone who has worked in construction or other jobs where they could have worked around asbestos.”

Baron & Budd supports the WHO’s proposal to halt all use of asbestos, to prevent exposure to asbestos that has already been used, and to improve treatment of asbestos-related disease.

“We know how to stop putting workers at risk of developing cancers. It is really simple—not having them work with carcinogens when we just don’t need them in the work environment,” said Baron & Budd.

Baron & Budd has been fighting on behalf of asbestos cancer patients for over 30 years and has a proven track record of successfully going up against companies that manufacture products containing asbestos, a toxic substance that, when inhaled, can cause diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. The firm is also well known for its commitment to protecting the environment against air pollution, water contamination and other toxic chemical substances that can cause deadly diseases and negative health effects.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

Dallas-based Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Baton Rouge, Austin and Beverly Hills, is a nationally recognized law firm with more than three decades of experience representing people and communities harmed by corporate negligence. The firm resolved one of the first asbestos cases in the United States in the 1970s. Baron & Budd attorneys continue to serve people diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. The cornerstone of the firm is toxic tort litigation, representing individuals, municipalities and water providers seeking redress from manufacturers of hazardous products and corporate polluters. The firm handles cases for injuries caused by exposure to asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances.