According to Plan
Despite the fact that society has observed negative health effects associated with asbestos all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire, the toxic substance is still in use today. In the United States, up to 3,000 cases of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, while approximately 5 million pounds of asbestos is processed. At Ban Asbestos Now, we are working to change that, and we're always looking for examples of how asbestos became such a major part of our society.
The fact is, despite the grim realities associated with asbestos use, products that used asbestos fibers were touted as miracles of modern science and safe and effective alternatives to more traditional products. For example, the video above, “According to Plan,” produced by a defunct asbestos product advocacy group called the Asbestos Cement Products Association, advertizes the benefits of materials containing asbestos.
The film, which proclaims the benefits of home siding made with asbestos cement, focuses on how the product would provide many advantages to home owners. Brimming with 1950s-era charm, the video persuades potential customers to use asbestos products, which are “safer and more durable” when compared to their traditional counterparts. The narrator even notes that the mixture of asbestos fibers and cement, “Was given every conceivable test.” The asbestos cement resisted fire, was waterproof and remained strong under extreme weather conditions.
The commercial is almost funny, until we consider how dangerous asbestos truly is. Although asbestos cement shingles may have seemed like the perfect home siding solution to many in the 1950s, the dangers associated with asbestos were already beginning to affect those who worked with the product. The first recorded death from asbestosis occurred in 1924, and widespread use of the substance as part of war efforts throughout the 20th century has led to a rise in associated complications. It wasn't until the 1970s that asbestos use began to drop off. Even today, despite all we know, the substance remains legal in the United States.
Without a full ban, there is always a risk of exposure to those who come in contact with it. Join us in our fight to ban asbestos now.