Occupationally Related Diseases!

Coalworker's pneumoconiosis, otherwise known as black lung, is directly caused by long-term exposure to coal dust. As the name implies, many coalworkers experience the disease after working in the mining occupation. Black lung can cause fibrosis, inflammation, and necrosis of the lungs. Additionally, symptoms of black lung are mostly untreatable because of the long-term damage caused by the coal dust. An example of a public health campaign to address the impact of black lung on coalworkers is the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center's campaign to send 100 Kentucky coal miners to Washington, D.C. in an effort to draw attention to the detrimental impacts of the disease on all aspects of life. Recently, a lack of congressional action has placed miners' federal black lung benefits at risk. As a consequence, miners are taking action through grassroots movements to bring attention to the issue.