With Christmas just around the corner, parents are out in droves searching for those perfect toys for Christmas morning. Unfortunately, there is still a problem with lead based paint products finding their ways on to toy shelves across the country. Voice of San Diego has a report on lead based issues:
Nearly 30 years after being banned in paint and 10 years since its removal from gasoline, lead remains a serious threat to the health of children throughout San Diego County. Although the number of poisoning cases has dropped 33 percent since the 1990s, an average of 52 children are treated annually through the county's Childhood Lead Poisoning Program. Last year, 60 children were treated. Most were babies.
What's interesting about this report is the fact that there is an outstanding ordinance under consideration that would require the inspection and remediation of any lead hazards in homes before they are sold. Unfortunately, it is meeting with some opposition as the Mayor's Office is concerned about imposing repair costs up to $5000 on home sales.
Abby Jarl, a policy advisor to Mayor Jerry Sanders, said the requirement "goes above and beyond" the state's lead-safe practices and would put an extra burden on homeowners.
There are many ways that parents themselves can prevent exposure to lead and lead based products.
Hand washing is number one, be sure to keep your children's hands clean, use soap and water. This goes along with regularly mopping the floors and cleaning the window areas of homes. In homes built before 1978, isolate all chipping paint and prevent the child from going near that area. Also, prevent children from playing in bare soil, sandboxes are a safer option. And finally, check the recalled toys list, for those being pulled due to excessive lead.
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