Let's Make Lead History: Lead Poisoning Prevention
Since 2004, we have worked alongside the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, Roberts Communications and dozens of other community organizations and individuals to address childhood lead poisoning. When the initiative launched, Rochester’s rates of lead poisoning exceeded the national rates by 10 times.
The City of Rochester passed a lead ordinance in 2006 that is one of the most ambitious in the nation. The policy has been recognized as a leader in cost-efficiency and effectiveness, having identified over 9,000 homes with interior lead hazards since it began.
The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning provides community-wide education to the general public, health professionals, property owners, contractors, and parent groups. Roberts Communications partnered with us to develop materials in multiple languages about lead paint hazards and the importance of getting children tested at ages 1 and 2.
Today, our region is looked to as a national model in reducing the number of children reported with lead poisoning, with an 85 percent reduction to date. In the past ten years, more than 5,600 children have been spared from the terrible effects of this public health hazard because of the collaborative efforts of local government agencies, the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, community agencies, and property owners.
Still, the job isn’t done yet. In 2014 there were 609 Rochester area children reported to have unacceptably high blood lead levels — that’s enough to fill more than 30 kindergarten classrooms.
Visit letsmakeleadhistory.org or email info@causewave.org to find out how you can be part of the movement to protect Rochester’s children from the dangers of lead poisoning.
PARTNERS: The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning| Roberts Communications | Greater Rochester Health Foundation |City of Rochester | Monroe County | Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency | BRX Global Research |Content Central | Icon Films |Forest McMullin Photography | Grant Taylor Photography
