British Lung Foundation - Awareness of asbestos health hazards 'dangerously low', new survey shows

More than a third (37%) of the British public is still unaware that contact with asbestos can cause cancer and only half (55%) are aware that their boiler cupboard could contain the deadly building material, according to a new YouGov survey published today by the British Lung Foundation to mark Action Mesothelioma Day.
The British Lung Foundation commissioned the survey to find out how much people really knew about the hazards of asbestos in the home. The results show that while almost everyone (98%) has heard of asbestos, nearly two thirds (65%) have never heard of mesothelioma, the fatal cancer of the lining of the lung caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. It also reveals that there is still widespread ignorance about the health hazards of asbestos and where it might be found in the home, despite the fact that anyone who comes into contact with it could be at risk.
Around 2000 people died of mesothelioma in the UK in 2005. The UK is facing an epidemic of the cancer in 2011 - 2015 as people exposed to asbestos in the 1960's and 1970's are diagnosed with the disease. (It takes 40 years for symptoms of mesothelioma to become apparent following exposure to asbestos). Recent cases show that builders, plumbers, gas fitters and electricians are now the largest high-risk groups. They are likely to come across asbestos in the buildings where they work. There is as yet no cure for mesothelioma and the British Lung Foundation is calling for more research into the disease.
Nearly half of those surveyed (45%) don't know which types of asbestos are the most dangerous ; more than a third (36%) are unaware that a corrugated roof could contain asbestos; more than one in ten (12%) wrongly think that asbestos might be found in their fridges; 3% wrongly thought of looking for it in their sofa; and less than a third (29%) thought that homes built between 1960 and 1975 might be at risk when in fact, these were the peak years for asbestos use and if homes were built or renovated then, they could contain quantities of the material.
Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "The UK faces an epidemic of mesothelioma yet awareness of the hazards of asbestos is still dangerously low. Mesothelioma is a cruel disease with, as yet, no cure, and it's vital that people understand that they still need to be vigilant about asbestos. Anyone who comes into contact with it could be at risk."

Email: jill.morrell@blf-uk.org