Senator Boxer on Lead Poisoning

October 11, 2007

The Senate recently approved a resolution (S.Res.316) designating the week of October 21 through October 27, 2007 as "National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week."  I was pleased to cosponsor this resolution.

Lead poisoning is a leading environmental health hazard to children in the United States.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 240,000 preschool children in the United States have harmful levels of lead in their blood.  At elevated levels, lead poisoning may cause serious, long-term harm to children including reduced intelligence and attention span, behavior problems, learning disabilities, and impaired growth.

Children from low-income families are significantly more likely to be poisoned by lead than are children from high-income families, but all children can be at risk from lead in water, soil, or consumable products.  The most common exposure is through exposure to lead particles when lead-based paint deteriorates or is disturbed during home renovation and repainting.

If you would like to learn more about lead poisoning, I encourage you to visit the Centers for Disease Control’s feature. This site includes information about the most recent product recalls related to lead.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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