How can exposure to cigarette smoke and asbestos harm me?

Breathing asbestos fibers ma y damage the lung or the linings of the chest wall. In some cases, this leads to asbestos-related illness and even death.

You will breathe asbestos fibers into your lungs if they are in the air you breathe.

Asbestos fibers may remain in the lungs for a lifetime.

Cigarette smoking weakens the lungs and decreases their ability to remove asbestos fibers.

Cigarette smoke also irritates air passages, causing t hem to produce more mucus

These effects block the passage of air and further decrease the removal of asbestos fibers from the lungs.