BALTIMORE, MD (October 26, 2015)– Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen joined Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, Faye Royale-Larkins, CEO of Total Health Care, Ruth Ann Norton, President and CEO, Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), local, state leaders, and members of the community to kick-off National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), a weeklong event designed to raise awareness about the threat that lead poisoning poses to our children and our communities.

This year's NLPPW theme, "Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future," underscores the importance of testing your home, testing your child, and learning how to prevent lead poisoning’s serious health effects.

“Lead poisoning is not just a housing issue; it’s an issue of health equity and a pressing concern in Baltimore City,” said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. “While Baltimore City has made great strides in reducing lead poisoning, thousands of children remain at risk of exposure to lead. This week must be a reminder that our work is not done until no child in Baltimore suffers from lead exposure."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half a million children living in the United States have elevated blood lead levels that may cause significant damage to their health.

Major sources of lead exposure to U.S. children include lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in deteriorating buildings. Children can also be exposed to lead from additional sources including contaminated drinking water, take-home exposures from a workplace, and lead in soil.

Lead is especially toxic to the brains of young children. Exposure to even low doses of lead has been linked to lower IQ scores, school failure, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and deficits in vocabulary, fine motor skills, reaction time and hand-eye coordination, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Excess lead levels in children can severely impair development and can even cause death.

The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) seeks to reduce lead poisoning through prevention and education efforts as well as enforcement of the city's lead laws. Health inspectors routinely purchase jewelry items designed for children and send them for laboratory testing to check lead content. Parents can reduce a child’s exposure to lead in many ways. Here are some simple things you can do to help protect your family:

• Get your Home Tested. Before you buy an older home, ask for a lead inspection.
• Get your Child Tested. Even if your young children seem healthy, ask your doctor to test them for lead.
• Get the Facts. For more information, please visit http://health.baltimorecity.gov/lead/lead-poisoning, http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead, or call 1-800-424-LEAD.

In observance of NLPPW, free screenings, lead-awareness community events, and educational campaigns will be conducted citywide, including a Blood Lead Testing Health Fair hosted by Mayor Rawlings-Blake, BCHD, and GHHI on Friday, October 30th. A list of Baltimore City’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week events is provided below:

• Monday, October 26, 2015: Lead Poisoning Prevention Gathering, Dayspring Head Start, 1865 N. Patterson Park Avenue, 21213, 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Monday, October 26, 2015: Lead Poisoning Prevention Gathering, Southeast Anchor Library, 3601 Eastern Avenue, 21224, 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 27, 2015: Lead Poisoning Prevention Gathering, Goodwill Industries, 22 E. Redwood, 21202, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 27, 2015: Lead Poisoning Prevention Gathering, Dayspring Head Start, 5010 Bowleys Lane, 21206, 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday , October 28, 2015: Pop-up Health Fair, Y of Central MD/Elgin Head Start, 2030 Elgin Avenue, 21217, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Thursday, October 29, 2015: Exhibit Table, Coldstream Elementary School, 1400 Exeter Hall Avenue, 21218, 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 30, 2015: Blood Lead Testing Health Fair, Park West Medical Center, 3319 W. Belvedere Ave, 21215, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.