Kids Are Focus of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is October 23-29. This year's theme, "Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future," underscores the importance of the many ways parents can reduce a child's exposure to lead and prevent its serious health effects.

Nearly a quarter of a million children living in the United States have blood lead levels high enough to cause significant damage to their health, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on data from a 2003–2004 national survey. Major sources of lead exposure among U.S. children are lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in deteriorating buildings.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees enforcement of the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule, observes National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to focus on the importance of educating parents and children about the dangerous health effects of lead exposure, especially lead paint hazards in housing, it states in a press release. In addition to the CDC and the EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is participating in National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

In observance of NLPPW, events such as state proclamations, free screenings, lead-awareness community events, and educational campaigns will be conducted nationwide.  

For information on NLPPW, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/nlppw.htm or http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/lppw2011.htm