Chipping away at lead poisoning
What’s the difference between the way government handled childhood lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan and Philadelphia?
In Flint, children were poisoned by the direct actions of state government.
In Philadelphia, local government has a long-standing commitment to protect children from lead hazards—but they have not put enough resources into it, and neither has the state or the federal government.
Did you know PCCY spearheaded a two-year campaign to make Philadelphia’s lead law a reality? Find out more!
Ending childhood lead poisoning dictates a housing solution because it’s primarily lead-based paint in homes that poison kids. Getting lead out of houses is expensive, but the cost pales in comparison to paying for poisoned kids’ health care, special education and juvenile delinquency bills – and does not touch the cost of human potential lost by the ravages of a poisoning we know how to prevent.
Here are 3 things YOU can do today to keep kids safe from lead:
- Advocate for more funding for the Pennsylvania Healthy Homes Program to educate families on lead-paint based home hazards, assess homes for hazards and connect families to available resources. Click here to send a letter to your state legislators.
- Push for increased federal funds for HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes program to provide lead hazard screening and lead hazard remediation in older homes occupied by low-income families. Click here to send your Congress members a letter.
- Advocate that the City enforce its lead law requiring landlords to test their properties for lead hazards where children age six and younger live and provide proof that the house is lead-safe. Click here to send letters to the Departments of Health and Licenses and Inspections.
For more information about lead poisoning prevention, check out the Department of Health’s FAQ.
