The City Of Lakewood Observes National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 20-26, 2019

The City of Lakewood is pleased to recognize National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 20-26, 2019. The City is conducting educational outreach designed to raise local awareness about the danger of lead exposure and poisoning. The goal is to create awareness and educate parents, homeowners and tenants how to reduce exposure to lead in the home environment. Serious health effects of lead can be prevented by testing children for lead exposure and using effective regular cleaning and lead remediation processes within our Lakewood homes.

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal is to encourage organized, local community events, and to empower families and other stakeholders to take action to eradicate lead poisoning in our community.

“Supporting our young families to raise healthy children is vital. As a city we realize the value of education and connecting our young families with local resources. These local resources provide lead safe education as well as help families connect and navigate the local, regional and national resources available to ensure a safe environment for their children. Testing every young child for lead between the ages of 1 and 5 is our goal,” said Mayor Summers.

This week, city employees will be distributing door hangers and executing a social media plan with information about lead poisoning prevention. Included in the information is how to access community resources along with regional and national lead poison prevention resources. Lakewood residents will be able to access lead poisoning prevention support from the City’s Departments of Community Development and Early Childhood Services as well as from the city’s non-profit partner LakewoodAlive.

About 3.6 million American households have children under 6 years of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards. According to the CDC, about 500,000 American children between ages of 1 and 5 years have blood lead levels greater than the level at which CDC recommends public health actions.  Children are not exposed equally to lead, nor do they suffer its consequences in the same way as adults. These disparities unduly burden minority families and low-income families and their communities.

Lead can be found inside and outside the home, including in the water that travels through lead pipes or in the soil around the house. However, the most common source of exposure is from lead-based paint, which was used in many homes built before 1978. The majority of Lakewood homes were built before 1978.

Many adults and children are exposed to lead by breathing in or ingesting lead dust from paint. Lead dust is created by friction against lead painted surfaces (opening and closing windows and doors or walking across lead painted surfaces such as outside porches).  Dust is also created during renovations, repairs or painting. Once created, lead dust settles in food, food preparation surfaces, floors, window sills, and other places within the home. In young children, this dust adheres to hands, toys and other objects that are put into their mouths.

Lead poisoning is largely preventable through increased testing and education. Visiting a doctor to have every young child tested for lead between the ages of 1 and 5 is important. Understanding the facts about lead poisoning is key for prevention. Click here to access the EPA’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Blue Book: Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home.  Click here for more information on Lead Poisoning Prevention.