In the United States, almost 1 million children between the ages of 1 to 5 are lead-poisoned. Most children are poisoned by breathing or swallowing lead dust from lead-based paint. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their bodies. Get your children tested if you think your home has high levels of lead.

In general, the older the home, the more likely it has lead-based paint. Many homes built prior to 1978 (when the Federal government banned lead-based paint from housing) have lead-based paint. To reduce your child's exposure to lead dust, get your children tested for lead, have your home tested by a certified lead-based paint professional(especially if your home has paint in poor condition and built before 1978), and use good cleaning practices and proper nutrition to reduce lead hazards. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/lead or call 800-424-LEAD.

Educational Initiative

As part of the effort to educate the general public on the hazards of lead-based paint, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has put together these links to provide information to:

• Parents of small children who are at high risk of dangerous lead-poisoning levels,
• Apartment owners and homeowners who rent properties built prior to 1978,
• Remodelers and renovators, and
• Anyone with general questions on how to reduce lead-based paint in the home.