To date, over 50,000 Australians have died due to the use of asbestos. Several people every day die from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma. However there is some treatment of mesothelioma in Australia.
Larry Graham, columnist, has criticised the various myths regarding asbestos and mesothelioma. The defence that the various governments and authorities use with mesothelioma cases is that they were unaware of the dangers of asbestos until very recently. It is because of this ignorance that they utilized asbestos in most of the buildings constructed before the 1970s. Graham criticises this defence, and states that the government was aware of the detrimental ramifications of asbestos for many years before this.
Graham criticises the myth that asbestos only affects people of the older generation who worked in mines and factories. The myths state that when these mines and factories closed down, the number of deaths regarding asbestos decreased dramatically. However, it must be acknowledged that asbestos was used in a myriad of buildings, including schools and homes in Australia. Further, asbestos particles are easily transmitted, and can be carried from place to place. Therefore, miners would have returned home and could have possibly brought back some asbestos particles, thereby placing their own family at risk.
Once asbestos fibres are inhaled, they can lead to mesothelioma, lung cancer or other asbestos related diseases. In Australia mesothelioma compensation (or asbestos compensation in Australia, or asbestosis compensation in Australia) is available to those who unfortunately do contract mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.
