Press Releases
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - October 21-27, 2007
Norwich – News this summer that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled millions of toys after determining they contained excessive amounts of lead recently elevated the issue of childhood lead poisoning in the United States. In fact, the CDC estimates nearly half a million children living in the U.S. have blood lead levels high enough to cause significant damage to their health.
Despite the ever-threatening presence of lead in the environment today, lead poisoning is entirely preventable. To increase awareness of childhood lead poisoning prevention, the Uncas Health District is participating in National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) October 21-27 along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This year’s NLPPW theme, “Protect Our Most Valuable Resource – Our Children,” underscores the importance of preventing lead exposure before children are harmed to prevent lead poisoning’s serious health effects, such as brain damage, learning and behavior problems or even death.
There are many ways parents can reduce a child’s exposure to lead. First and foremost, hazards in a child’s environment must be identified and controlled or removed safely. Sources of lead include: dust and chips from paint in homes built before 1978; ground soil; various imported goods, such as toys, Mexican candy, traditional ceramics, children’s jewelry; some drinking water; and folk remedies.
For more information about preventing childhood lead poisoning, contact the Uncas Health District Lead Inspector at 823-1189 or www.uncashd.org
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