Although products containing asbestos gained popularity during World War II, mining and commercial use actually extends as far back as the 1800s. In the 1970s, however, the first laws concerning asbestos were passed, and manufacturers were no longer able to make certain products containing asbestos because fibers were being released into the environment. A decade later, new laws prevented manufacturers from developing any new uses for asbestos fibers. Of course, any uses that had been developed before the laws were passed were still legal. Those laws brought asbestos exposure to public attention, but there are still many people who know nothing about asbestos or the dangers of continued exposure.

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in fiber bundles, and the bundles can be separated into individual fibers. Asbestos fibers are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, and they do not conduct electricity. With those characteristics, products containing asbestos were a perfect fit for many construction and manufacturing industries.

Asbestos products include brake shoes and clutch pads for automobiles, insulation for boilers and steam pipes on ships, and strengthening agents for cement and talc-based crayons. In the construction industry, asbestos fibers are used in ceiling tiles, paint that is lead based, plastics, adhesives, soundproofing material and insulation. As long as the fibers are encased and contained, with little chance of exposure under normal conditions, all of these uses are legal.

As the number of asbestos cases grows and are publicized, people are becoming more aware of the health risks inherent in asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, cancer of the lining around the body's organs, has become a common household word, despite having once been considered a very rare form of cancer. Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the heart, are the most common forms of mesothelioma. The cancer cannot currently be treated with conventional cancer therapy, making it fatal in nearly every case.

Although asbestos has been in use for centuries, asbestos exposure is a relatively new addition to the list of recognized occupational health hazards. In general, it takes regular exposure to asbestos fibers to develop asbestos-related diseases, although that exposure can be either job-related or environmental. It also takes anywhere from 10 to 50 years for symptoms to become apparent, which made it difficult for doctors to make the initial connection between asbestos and the resulting diseases. As cases of asbestos related cancers have become more common in the courtroom, asbestos laws have fallen under consideration, but it is still a legal product as long as those using it adhere to all regulations.

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