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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lead Prevention Week Focuses on Keeping Kids Healthy

The National Lead Poisoning Prevention week ends on Oct. 27. It's not too late to spread the word of this year's theme, "Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future." CDC's website has an array of resources to help communicate the message, such as posters, banners, press releases and podcasts.

Massachusetts Department of Labor reports that the greatest risk to childhood lead poisoning is residential lead-based paint hazards, which can be found in pre-1978 housing stock. The agency also reports that this year, CDC lowered the threshold blood level of concern for children by half (it is now 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood). As a result, this new threshold "makes it all the more important to be aware of potential sources of lead in the home so we can take actions to protect children and families," the department says.