Southern Regional Lead Poisoning Coalition

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• Southern Regional Lead Poisoning Coalition

protecting South Jersey families from the dangers
of lead poisoning
Funded by NJ Department of Health and Senior
Services/Division of Family Health Lead
agencySouthern NJ Perinatal Cooperative
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The Coalitions Charge

• Established in January 2003 to help local
  communities create and sustain local capacity to
  address and eliminate lead poisoning through
  culturally sensitive outreach and education.

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The Coalitions Goal

• Eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010
• (Healthy NJ 2010)

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Health Risk for Children
Even small amounts of lead can lead to permanent
damage to the brain and nervous system In high
exposures, lead can cause seizures, coma and even
death.
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What is Lead?

• A highly toxic, heavy metal element
• No living thing needs it
• Found in many environments and products
• Poses significant health and social risks

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Lead Damage Lasts Lifetime

• Behavioral and emotional problems
• Hyperactivity, ADD, poor attention span
• Discipline problems, school absenteeism,
  delinquency
• Anger, aggression, depression
• Brain Damage
• Lower IQ, lower reading, vocabulary, and math
  scores
• Speech and language difficulties

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Lead Damage Lasts Lifetime

• Delayed or slowed development
• Decreased muscle and bone growth
• Clumsiness / slow reflexes
• Health Issues
• Anemia, kidney damage, joint pains

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Lead Effects in Pregnancy

• Lead crosses the placenta
• Lead stored in bones may be released into blood
  (and carried through blood to fetus)
• Prematurity
• Low Birth Weight
• Miscarriage or Stillbirth

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• Lead poisoned children are 6 times more
  likely to have learning disabilities

Jessica Wolpaw Reyes (2007) Environmental Policy
as Social Policy? The Impact of Childhood Lead
Exposure on Crime, The B.E. Journal of Economic
Analysis Policy Vol. 7 Iss. 1
(Contributions), Article 51.
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• Lead poisoned children are 7 times more
  likely to drop out of high school

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• Lead poisoned children are robbed of nearly
  200,000 in lifetime earnings because of lost IQ

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When lead poisoned children suffer WE ALL
SUFFER
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Social Impact of Lead Poisoning

• Higher taxes
• Cost of special education
• Higher medical insurance
• Welfare / social service program costs
• Criminal justice system
• Quality of life for society

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Lead-Paint Dust Greatest Risk

• Lead paint dust is most common source of lead
  poisoning in children
• Lead paint not banned in US until 1978.
• Dust is produced as paint deteriorates or is
  damaged (renovation).
• Lead paint dust is invisible

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How Lead Gets Into Children

• Ingestion
• Hand to mouth activity
• Paint dust, paint chips, contaminated soil,
  drinking water, food
• Breathing
• Renovations
• Children may inhale fumes if paint is heated
• During pregnancy

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Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

• Symptoms are rare and common to other childhood
  ailments
• Stomach aches or cramps
• Headaches
• Joint and muscle pain
• Fatigue
• Sleep disorders
• Most lead-poisoned kids show NO symptoms until
  the damage is already done

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Screening / Testing Crucial

• Screening is only way to determine if child has
  been lead poisoned
• All parents should know childs Blood Lead Level
  (BLL)
• Testing required at 1 and 2 years. Recommended
  whenever risk exposure occurs.
• Testing residences for lead paint dust is
  important preventive measure to identify risk
  level and protect children
• NJ provides free lead dust testing kits

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Magnitude of the Problem

• Lead based paint not banned until 1978.
• There are nearly 1 million housing units in New
  Jersey built before 1950 representing 30 of
  NJs housing stock.
• EACH county in New Jersey has more than 9,000
  housing units built before 1950.
• Screening rates to identify children at risk
  average below 30.

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Screening RateNEW JERSEY
Total Children 222,837
41.6
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46
2004
2005
2006
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Screening RateSOUTH JERSEY
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Screening Rate ATLANTIC COUNTY CITIES
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Elevated BLL 10SOUTH JERSEY
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Elevated BLL 10ATLANTIC COUNTY CITIES
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Number Children Unscreened ATLANTIC COUNTY
CITIES
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Community Solution for a Community Problem
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Success Requires Everyone

• Parents
• Housing Industry
• Real Estate
• Builders/Contractors
• Landlords /Tenants / Property Owners
• Government
• Public Health
• Educational System
• Judicial System

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Coalition Priorities

• Primary Prevention
• Increase the number of housing units that are
  lead-free or lead-safe
• Decrease childrens exposures and access to
  non-paint lead sources
• Increase adoption of individual and family lead
  poisoning prevention behaviors
• Secondary Prevention
• Increase the percentage of 2 year old children in
  NJ that have had at least 1 blood-lead level
  (BLL) test

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Coalition Governance

• Full Coalition
• Meets 3 times year
• Coalition divided into 3 cluster groups
• Atlantic and Cape May counties
• Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem counties
• Camden and Burlington counties
• Each cluster group to meet 3 times
• Organizational Support from SNJPC

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Call to Action

• Commit to the Coalition
• Recruit other members
• Educate your community and neighbors
• Spread the 3 point message
• Test your home
• Test your child
• Use safe cleaning/renovation practices

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The path is clear.
TOGETHER, we can protect our childrens future
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