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Did you know that the paint on your walls could be causing lower I.Q.s, behavior disorders and learning disabilities in your children? This topic is not actively discussed since America banned lead paint over 40 years ago but the problems caused by not only lead in paint continue to linger.
500,000 Children Affected Per Year
Walls that were painted with lead-based paint long ago continue to affect as many as a half million children each year who are diagnosed with lead poisoning. Some children are especially vulnerable. How often do we see toddlers sucking on a painted window sill while looking out the window, unaware they are sucking on poison from the old peeling paint. This is an especially common occurrence in poor, older neighborhoods where homes and apartments have not been upgraded in many years. Paint peeling off the walls, window frames and pipes is ingested causing dreadful effects in children. In 2011, it was estimated that one in seven homes still contain lead paint. To make matters worse, flaking paint actually tastes sweet making small children attracted to the dust and paint chips.
Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy
Recent research by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, Washington reports that worldwide exposure to lead causes more than a half million deaths and 12 percent of all disabilities such as: Cerebral Palsy, a disorder caused by brain damage during or shortly after birth marked by defective muscle control; Epilepsy, a disorder marked by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain and sudden periods of diminished consciousness and behavior disorders. These problems are actually worsening as countries become wealthier. For example, as people fix up their homes in Asia and Africa, the fresh paint they use contains poisonous lead which has not been banned.
Lead in Drinking Water
And lead paint is not the only offender. Many homes and municipal water companies still use lead pipes for drinking water as do many countries. Lead found in drinking water is caused by eroding lead pipes which became a hot topic involving Flint, Michigan when large spikes in lead levels were widely reported. But the identical problem exists in countless aging cities in America and throughout the world.
Inadequate Government Response
Despite knowing the dangers of lead for hundreds – even thousands of years, the global concern for harmful lead was addressed during the 2009 United Nations Global Health Assembly. Every nation made a commitment to phasing out lead based paint by 2020. Sadly, only a dozen countries have actually banned lead paint.
Help is Out There
Don’t expect lead poisoning to go away anytime soon. Take matters into your own hands. Most cities have charitable environmental organizations, such as Green and Healthy Homes, www.greenandhealthyhomes.org who will test and help rid your home of lead.
This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.
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