is asbestos still being used today or did they finally ban it

Yeah, it's frustrating because the EPA never actually did a full ban like other countries did, there are still some asbestos products legally allowed if they meet certain conditions. Your kids should definitely be careful with older building materials and brake work especially, that's where most exposure still happens these days.

Yeah, it's such a frustrating thing because the answer is kinda both yes and no? They banned a lot of asbestos products back in the 70s and 80s when you were getting exposed, but there are still some uses that are technically legal. It's wild. Joe actually looked into this stuff pretty hard after his diagnosis because he was worried about our kids too, and what we found out was that certain products like brake pads and some insulation materials can still contain asbestos if they meet certain conditions. The EPA regulates it but doesn't have a complete ban like you'd think.

The loophole thing you're hearing about is real. There are specific products that are grandfathered in or allowed under certain circumstances, which honestly just feels wrong when you think about what it did to people like you and Joe. And yeah, other countries use it way more openly which is absolutely messed up. India and Russia still use tons of it.

For your kids on job sites, I'd honestly say have them ask questions before they start anything. When we had our roof redone in 2023 the contractor said some of the old materials might have asbestos in them, so they took precautions. It made me feel better knowing people are at least checking. Your kids should be asking about materials before they work with anything old, especially if they're in construction or renovation. It's not paranoid, it's just smart now.

How old are your kids if you don't mind me asking? Are they in trades?

You know what really gets me is that they talk about "bans" but it's more like they banned certain uses while leaving others wide open. Joe's oncologist actually mentioned this when we were going through his treatment options back in November, and she said the loopholes are frustrating because some manufacturers can still use it in specific products if they can prove it's "safe." But safe is such a relative term when we're sitting here dealing with stage III...

The thing that worries me for your kids is the renovation and construction stuff because older buildings still have it everywhere. When we had our roof inspected last year the inspector literally told us "don't touch anything, call a specialist" because of asbestos in the old insulation. That was real eye opening.

What I'd suggest is having your kids ask their employers about material safety protocols before they take jobs, especially on older homes or buildings. We learned the hard way that just knowing it's there isn't enough, you gotta know how to handle it safely. Did Sarah mention anything about what products are still legal where you live?

Yeah, this is something I've had to research pretty thoroughly since my dad's diagnosis. The short answer is it's not fully banned in the US, which honestly blew my mind when I found out.

The EPA banned most asbestos products back in 1989, but there were legal challenges and it got whittled down. So certain products are still allowed if they were grandfathered in before the ban. Chlorine bleach, certain gaskets, some roofing materials. The OSHA regulations are strict about handling it in existing materials but the fact that it's still legal to manufacture and import specific products is... yeah. It's frustrating.

And you're right about other countries. India, Russia, they're still using it heavily. Which means it's still being mined and processed and exported, so there's ongoing occupational exposure happening globally while we're dealing with the consequences here.

For your kids on job sites, the real issue isn't usually new asbestos exposure anymore. It's disturbing old asbestos in buildings built before the 80s. Renovation work on older homes, demolition, that kind of thing. If they're doing any of that they need to know what they're looking at. We found asbestos in my parents' basement insulation when we were looking at home modifications for my dad's care setup last summer, and that was from original construction in 1972.

The OSHA regs for handling known ACM (asbestos-containing material) are pretty solid if people actually follow them. Personal protective equipment, wet methods, proper disposal. But a lot of contractors don't take it seriously enough because they think it's not a big deal anymore. Make sure your kids understand it IS still a risk, just differently than it was in your era.

You're right that it's complicated. They did ban a lot of asbestos products back in the 70s and 80s after people started getting sick, but there are still some things allowed under certain conditions. It's one of those situations where the law has all these exceptions and loopholes that don't really make sense when you think about it.

Joe's oncologist actually brought this up during one of his appointments because we were asking the same thing about our son who does HVAC work. Turns out asbestos is still used in some gaskets, brake pads, and insulation materials even now, just in smaller amounts or with restrictions. The EPA says it's "banned" but that's not really the full story. There's like a partial ban with all these carve outs for certain industries.

And yeah, you're not wrong about other countries. It's wild and honestly kind of infuriating. They use it all over the place in Asia and other parts of the world because there's basically no regulation. So products get imported here sometimes and nobody always catches it.

For your kids on job sites, the big thing is if they're doing demolition or working with older buildings, that's where the real risk is. New materials are generally safer but they should still know what to look for and use protection if they're breaking into walls or messing with old pipe insulation. We had the talk with our son about asking questions before starting any renovation work. Better to look paranoid than end up like Joe and me teaching retirement plans instead of enjoying them.

This is so real. My mom got diagnosed in August and honestly one of the things that haunts me is just how long she was breathing this stuff in before anyone cared enough to actually do anything about it. And now I'm teaching elementary kids in Phoenix and my principal keeps talking about the "old building" we're in and I'm like, what does that even mean, you know?

What Amy said about imports really stuck with me because my mom's oncologist actually said something similar when we were at her appointment back in September. Like the loopholes are SO big you could drive a truck through them. The "ban" is basically more like a suggestion if you've got the right industry connections.

I think what scares me most about your question is that your kids are gonna be exposed to the same mess you were, just maybe in different ways. Renovations, old schools, construction sites. My mom worked around it in offices and schools for decades before anyone flagged it as a problem. So yeah, maybe have them ask questions on job sites about what they're working with? I don't know if that helps but that's what I wish someone had told my mom when she was younger.

Yeah this is something I've been reading about a lot since my mom got diagnosed. It's honestly frustrating because it's not as simple as "it's banned." Like they banned a ton of asbestos products back in the 80s but there are still loopholes and certain products that are technically allowed. My mom's pulmonologist mentioned that some insulation and roofing materials can still contain it if they were manufactured before certain dates or if they're imported.

What really got me was finding out that other countries use WAY more asbestos than we do. It's wild that it's still being mined and used in places like India and Russia when we know what it does. Makes you feel kinda helpless honestly.

For your kids the thing that scared me when I first moved here to help my mom was thinking about renovation work. I talked to someone at a local HVAC company back in September and they said whenever they're working on older buildings they treat everything like it might have asbestos. They get it tested first which costs some money but it's worth it for safety. So if your kids are gonna be on job sites they should definitely be pushing for that kind of precaution, even if it's not required.

The loopholes thing is real though. Some products can still be used if they're not specifically named in the ban list. It's messed up but knowing about it means they can at least ask the right questions before starting work somewhere. Your neighbor might want to look up what was actually in those brake pads back then too, just in case there's any legal stuff he should know about.