The Hill News

Today marks the start of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), led by the CDC every year during the last full week of October.  But this year’s campaign is making the usual, costly mistake: it’s treating the prevention of childhood lead poisoning like an education issue, when really, it’s an economic issue. 

According to an in-depth analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, every $1 spent on controlling lead hazards results in a return of $17â€"$221 in reduced health care costs, higher lifetime earnings, tax revenue, reduced spending on special education, and significantly reduced criminal activity.  Emerging from the worst recession in generations, increased spending on lead control would be a smart investment for the economy, public health, and social justice.

Lead poisoning is thought to be the most preventable of pediatric health problems in the U.S., yet remains one of the most common.  The enduring prevalence of lead-base! d paint hazards in homes built before 1978 is primarily responsible.  This year’s NLPPW strategy, "Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future," advises parents to have a certified inspector check for lead hazards in older homes and encourages them to take young children to a doctor for blood lead level testing.

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