Get the Lead (Paint) Out!

Dan Frith

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Did you know that National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week ends Saturday? Childhood lead poisoning is the most preventable environmental disease in young children, but approximately 1 million children still have elevated blood lead levels. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, seizures and death, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is especially harmful to fetuses and young children.

Most children are exposed to dangerous levels of lead when they live in homes built before 1978 - the year on which lead based paints were banned due to health concerns. Federal and state governments are sponsoring programs to reduce and eradicate the problem. As an example, a $2.9 million federal grant will enable the city of Indianapolis to provide for lead tests for children, lead dust kits for families and construction on about 400 housing units as part of a Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration program.

The program's goal is to eliminate lead in 389 area homes, 115 of which must be rental properties. Households will be selected based on income level, risk of contamination and whether small children or pregnant women are on the property.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.