Press Release

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For release October 19, 2005

What do old homes, kids' lunch boxes, candies from Mexico and inexpensive jewelry have in common? They can all be sources of lead and hazardous to children. In the past 10 years, more than 800 Contra Costa children have been diagnosed with unsafe levels of lead in their blood. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has designated October 23 - 29 as Lead Poisoning Prevention Week as a continued warning about the problem.

One of the main goals of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is to encourage parents of children under age six to get their kids tested by their doctors, said Joanne Genêt, P.A., manager of Contra Costa Health Services' Lead Poisoning Prevention Project (LPPP).

"Children with lead poisoning usually show no symptoms. A blood test for lead is the only way to find out for sure if your child has lead poisoning," Genêt said.

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