Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is being observed throughout California during the week of October 20-26, 2024. Lead Week is a national annual campaign during the last full week of October to bring awareness to and prevent childhood lead exposure.

Each year, the local Sonoma County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) participates in Lead Week to increase awareness of childhood lead poisoning and provides valuable outreach and education to community members and partners.

The local CLPPP is managed and staffed through the County of Sonoma Department of Health Services Public Health Division and is funded through the State Department of Public Health. The CLPPP employs a team of local health professionals, who provide services to parents, healthcare providers, and the general public. This team is comprised of:

• Registered Environmental Specialists, who conduct investigations to determine the source of lead contamination in the home.
• Public Health Nurses, who work with families to identify possible sources of contamination and to educate families on ways to reduce the risk of lead contamination.
• Health Educators, who conduct health fairs, workshops and special trainings for health care providers and the general public.

Protecting children from lead exposure is critical to lifelong health. Even small amounts of lead in the body can adversely impact intelligence quotient (IQ), ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. The damaging effects of lead exposure often go undetected. The signs of lead exposure are difficult to identify. A blood lead test is the best way to determine if a child has been exposed to lead.

Although lead can be found in many products and locations, lead exposure is preventable. We encourage all Sonoma County residents to learn about the risk and potential sources of lead exposure, and the steps we can take to protect our children.

Please visit the local CLPPP website for more information. https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/health-services/divisions/public-health/environmental-health/programs-and-services/childhood-lead-poisoning-prevention

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fact Sheet: https://zerowastesonoma.gov/materials/childhood-lead-poisoning-prevention?locale=en