How can exposure to cigarette smoke and asbestos harm me?

Breathing asbestos fibers may 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.