Asbestos-Related Deaths Up

jlowery writes "Seems that asbestos deaths have skyrocketed recently, which isn't suprising one you learn that it takes 40-45 years after exposure for peak deaths to occur. Reminds me of the time 25 years ago me and Dad were replacing the brakes on my old Datsun 510 and blew out the brake residue with compressed air. Dusty."

Asbestosis and smoking

[dacarr]

A while back, a guy I knew who worked in insulation quipped that most of the asbestosis deaths he knew of were heavy smokers to begin with, so what he postulated was that it was more that the asbestos compounded the smoking related junk. Anyone know if there is truth to that one, or is he just...well, blowing smoke?