Lawsuit claims "CSI" toy kits contain asbestos

A California asbestos awareness group sued CBS Corp, a toy maker and several retailers on Friday, claiming they sold toy crime-scene kits based on the hit CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that contained the cancer-causing substance.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that laboratory tests revealed the fingerprint dusting powder in the kits contained "substantial quantities of tremolite asbestos ... one of the most lethal forms of asbestos."

New York-based manufacturer Planet Toys Inc pulled the kits from the market late last year over the group's claims but said that multiple tests had shown no traces of asbestos.
The company said on its Web site it had issued a "stop sale" on all "CSI" fingerprint kits "until further information can be ascertained as to the discrepancy between our respective test findings."

The nonprofit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization said the defendants, including Planet Toys, failed to warn consumers the kits contained a hazardous material, as required under state law.

The group seeks a court order to stop sales of the kits unless they carry the warning and to require the companies to allow purchasers to return the kits for a full refund, as well as civil penalties.

Myth: Asbestos a Thing of the Past

According to an article on deaths from mesothelioma/asbestos, each year, 10,000 Americans die -- often quite painfully - due to asbestos-related illnesses. Because it takes between 10 and 50 years for symptoms to emerge, these numbers are expected to climb through 2018.

"People think asbestos is a thing of the past," said Harbut, M.D., co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers, at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, adding that inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers permanently penetrates the lungs and other tissue, causing cancer and other respiratory diseases. "I wish it were."

This weekend Harbut is increasing awareness regarding early detection at The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization's fourth annual Asbestos Awareness Day Conference in Detroit.
His goal is to educate and provide outreach to those impacted by exposure. Scheduled events include a musical performance by Jordan Zevon, son of legendary rock musician Warren Zevon, who died of an asbestos-related illness in 2003.

At 10:30 a.m. today, participants will join people around the globe in celebrating the memory of those who died of related diseases with a candlelight ceremony and brunch at the Detroit Marriot Renaissance Center.

"There's a place you can go to find out if you are at high risk for developing asbestos cancers - and get some help," Harbut said. "Karmanos is generally thought to be at the forefront of asbestos research."

Harbut's research team is recognized for discovering two early tumor markers for asbestos-related disease, as revealed through a blood test.

"Early detection helps people live longer and less painfully -- and hopefully less tragically for the family," Harbut said. "It can take a very brief exposure to be affected. There's no such thing as a safe level of exposure."

Between 4,000 and 8,000 new cases of mesothelioma are discovered in the United States each year. Asbestos is the only known cause. According to Harbut, it's the smallest percentage of asbestos-related cancers. Tens of thousands of others are expected to die of lung cancer, asbestosis and other related illnesses.