Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - October 23-29, 2011 Protecting our Children

Monday - Oct 24, 2011

From the Illinois Department of Public Health

SPRINGFIELD - Almost a quarter of a million children in the United States have blood lead levels high enough to cause significant damage to their health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) identified approximately 3,300 Illinois children last year with elevated blood lead levels, one of the highest numbers in the country. In observance of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, IDPH is working to raise awareness about the importance of testing children and homes for lead, and learning how to prevent exposure that can result in serious health effects.

Read the full press relase. (PDF)