State and federal laws mandate that Maine test 100% of the toddlers covered by MaineCare for lead poisoning. The actual screening rates fall far short of that target, leaving our most vulnerable children at risk of lifelong harm. Maine needs to step up and follow the law.
It’s a troubling reality that in many schools and childcare facilities – places where we send our kids to learn and be safe – our children can be exposed to lead in their drinking water. And it’s especially troubling that in New Hampshire, like most states, we don’t have health-based standards to protect our kids from that harmful lead exposure. This legislative session, we’ll be working to correct that problem.
If your home was built before 1978, it’s essential to the health of your family that you ask an important question: Will my home improvement project disturb lead-based paint?
A new law in New Hampshire adopts much-needed protections to stem the tide of childhood lead poisoning cases in the state.
Every year, several hundred New Hampshire children are found to be poisoned by lead. Even at low levels of exposure, lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that can result in permanent, irreversible harm, such as cognitive impairment, learning disabilities, hearing loss, and delayed language skills. And, with so many New Hampshire homes and apartments built before… Continue reading Protecting New Hampshire Kids from Lead Poisoning: Progress (But We’re Not There Yet)
Recently proposed cuts in the 2018–2019 Maine state budget would dramatically reduce funding for lead poisoning prevention efforts, leaving our children vulnerable to lifelong harm.
