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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Thousands of Americans die each year from | ||||||
| 3 | mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos, that | ||||||
| 4 | attacks the linings of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testicles; | ||||||
| 5 | and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, The heavy use of asbestos in manufacturing, | ||||||
| 7 | industry, and construction has been recognized as "the worst | ||||||
| 8 | occupational health disaster in U.S. history"; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Asbestos was used in the construction of virtually | ||||||
| 10 | all office buildings, public schools, and homes built before | ||||||
| 11 | 1975; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, A high percentage of mesothelioma victims were | ||||||
| 13 | exposed to asbestos on naval ships and in shipyards; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, It is believed that many of the firefighters, | ||||||
| 15 | police officers, and rescue workers from the site of the World | ||||||
| 16 | Trade Center destruction on September 11, 2001 may be at | ||||||
| 17 | increased risk of contracting mesothelioma; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Even incidental exposure to asbestos is | ||||||
| 19 | sufficient to cause cancer as long as 30 years later; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, The lack of sufficient research to advance | ||||||
| 2 | effective treatments for Mesothelioma has led to inadequate | ||||||
| 3 | treatment for those stricken with the disease and has resulted | ||||||
| 4 | in a situation where the majority of Mesothelioma patients | ||||||
| 5 | succumb to the disease within a mere 12 to 15 months from the | ||||||
| 6 | time of diagnosis; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, In 1999, the Mesothelioma Applied Research | ||||||
| 8 | Foundation was formed to eradicate the life-ending and vicious | ||||||
| 9 | effects of mesothelioma, and early progress in developing | ||||||
| 10 | effective treatments for the disease is now being made; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, The establishment of Mesothelioma Awareness Day | ||||||
| 12 | would raise public awareness of the disease and the need to | ||||||
| 13 | develop effective treatments for this devastating disease; | ||||||
| 14 | therefore, be it
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| 15 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 16 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare September 26 | ||||||
| 17 | of each year to be Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the State of | ||||||
| 18 | Illinois; and be it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | presented to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
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