Lead Rule Clarification

This week there have been several references in the Winston-Salem Journal to the "Lead Paint Rule." As a point of clarification, the Forsyth County Board of Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Rule ONLY addresses the need for more children to be tested and for health intervention to occur at a lower blood level. All children should be tested at age 1 and 2 or at least once before age 6, if they missed the earlier testing.

There has been NO change in housing standards. A poisoned child, however, may draw attention to unsafe housing, and housing re-mediation may be mandated based on the child's blood level. As CHANGE has put it, in Forsyth County we use children as the "canaries in the coal mine." It is ONLY when children have elevated blood lead levels that lead hazard reduction is mandated.

The Center for Disease Control recommends a housing based approach. One that would pro-actively clean up houses with lead hazards and prevent childhood lead poisoning. Our local rule does not go that far.

Stricter housing regulations would be ideal. Many communities around the nation have effectively improved their housing stock with federal HUD money grants.

Is this community ready for a more comprehensive approach?