Research by British Broadcasting Company (BBC) Look East confirms what many working class Brits already know – deaths from asbestos-caused cancer are at an all-time high in England, particularly in the eastern portion of the country.
“In the east of England, the male death rate from mesothelioma increased from 14.8 per million between 1982 and 1984 to 66.4 per million between 2006 and 2008,” notes a BBC article published in late August.
In the city of Essex, for example, 115 individuals died of industrial diseases in the calendar year 2010 and most of those were attributed to asbestos exposure. The only area that saw a greater increase than Essex was the West Midlands. Essex’s long history of shipbuilding contributes greatly to those numbers as does the construction industry.
In the meantime, Essex residents live with the horror of the disease, which responds little to treatment. One widow of a former builder and Essex resident told the BBC that living with mesothelioma was “mental torment” for her husband, who died at age 48, as he realized he wouldn’t be able to see his children and grandchildren grow up. Others also cited the short life expectancy of those stricken with this type of cancer. One woman likened it to an egg timer running out of ticks.
Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that they expect to continue to see a rise in the number of cases of mesothelioma for least 5 more years. Some say it will be much longer before the number of cases diminishes. That’s because England used asbestos until 1999, when use of asbestos-containing materials was finally banned. As a result, thousands upon thousands of buildings in East England contain hazardous asbestos.
“In the east of England, the male death rate from mesothelioma increased from 14.8 per million between 1982 and 1984 to 66.4 per million between 2006 and 2008,” notes a BBC article published in late August.
In the city of Essex, for example, 115 individuals died of industrial diseases in the calendar year 2010 and most of those were attributed to asbestos exposure. The only area that saw a greater increase than Essex was the West Midlands. Essex’s long history of shipbuilding contributes greatly to those numbers as does the construction industry.
In the meantime, Essex residents live with the horror of the disease, which responds little to treatment. One widow of a former builder and Essex resident told the BBC that living with mesothelioma was “mental torment” for her husband, who died at age 48, as he realized he wouldn’t be able to see his children and grandchildren grow up. Others also cited the short life expectancy of those stricken with this type of cancer. One woman likened it to an egg timer running out of ticks.
Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that they expect to continue to see a rise in the number of cases of mesothelioma for least 5 more years. Some say it will be much longer before the number of cases diminishes. That’s because England used asbestos until 1999, when use of asbestos-containing materials was finally banned. As a result, thousands upon thousands of buildings in East England contain hazardous asbestos.
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