Potential Asbestos Halts School Musical

On March 6, a school drama club evening production of Seussical the Musical was cancelled due to fears that the Bristol Borough Junior-Senior High School auditorium in Bristol, Pa. might contain asbestos.

According to District Superintendent Broadus Davis, Jr., the measure was purely precautionary, devolving as it did from the discovery, early Friday morning, of what some suspected was asbestos in the school's auditorium, where the production was to be held.

Fortunately, students were on holiday and staff - conducting a professional development day - were shifted to nearby Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School while asbestos and air quality professionals were brought in to determine if the substance was, indeed, asbestos.

Asbestos, a fibrous mineral used in insulation, floor and roofing tiles, tile glues and some ceiling panels up to the 1970s, or until health officials began to recognize its dangers, is the solitary cause of mesothelioma. This almost incurable form of cancer seldom produces symptoms before the third decade, by which time the prognosis is very poor. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma die within a year. Neither OSHA, the CDC, nor the American Cancer Society has ever established minimum, safe levels of exposure for asbestos; a day or a lifetime can trigger mesothelioma.

On Friday, while asbestos experts were conducting their tests, Davis said he was expecting a written report as early as the next day, Saturday, March 7. In the interim, however, scheduled Saturday and Sunday drama club performances were suspended, and Monday's classes were also put on hold pending professional scrutiny of the school's auditorium and air quality, and a final review of those reports by school district administrators. This dual review is apparently standard District operating procedure for hazardous substances.

Fortunately, Saturday's report showed no asbestos in the auditorium, and no asbestos particulate in the school's air. The postponed performances have been rescheduled for March 13 and 14, according to Maria Figueroa, president of the school's Parents Alumni Students Theatrical Association. Davis also issued an advisory to parents stating that school would resume as usual on Monday, March 9.

Bristol, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County, dates from 1720. Its newest city charter, dated 1905, still indicates how old the area, and its buildings, are. It would not be unreasonable to assume that Bristol schools contain some portion of asbestos. And, while some will undoubtedly argue that Davis's actions were hasty and unwarranted, the fact is that no actual school time was lost and the drama club production will be as good, or better, with another week's rehearsal.

In fact, it would be better for students if all administrators across the country acted with Davis's dispatch to avert potential tragedy. Asbestos, once encountered, represents a sort of ticking time bomb that may never go off, or may go off by inducing such diseases as lung cancer, cancer of the pharynx, cancer of the esophagus, stomach cancer, colon cancer, cancer of the rectum, asbestosis and mesothelioma. None is pleasant, and the last is lethal. Davis acted responsibly, and is to be lauded for knowing the difference between a tempest in a teapot and a real danger.

To receive a FREE Mesothelioma Web information packet** or to make a request, please fill out the following form :

**For a FREE information packet including treatments, clinical trials, and specialists, please complete the form above or call a Mesothelioma Web coordinator at 1-877-367-6376.

News

Resources

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here

If you would like to receive a FREE information packet or have questions about mesothelioma, call us at:

Toll-Free 1-877-367-6376