Groups Call for Halt to Distribution of Misleading Lead Poisoning Video

In a joint letter today, the Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning (Alliance) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) called on the Lead Industries Association to cease distribution of its video, Lead Poisoning … A Message for Parents of Young Children. The free video, which does not clearly state that it was produced by the Lead Industries Association, is misleading, fails to mention lead’s neurotoxic effects, and uses a Sesame Streetcast member to deliver the lead industry’s self-serving messages.

“The Lead Industries Association’s video is biased, manipulative, and potentially dangerous to children’s health. It should be immediately withdrawn from distribution. Parents and health care providers should beware of this video, which features ‘Susan,’ a Sesame Street character long trusted by children and their parents,” said Don Ryan, of the Alliance.

The video has many inaccuracies and omissions, including:

• The video fails to make any mention of how lead poisoning harms young children by reducing IQ and attention span and causing learning difficulties and behavior problems.
• It downplays the danger of chronic exposure to invisible, toxic lead dust on floors and other surfaces, the most common pathway of poisoning.
• Its recommendations are too vague to be helpful, offering no practical tips on how to safely repair peeling paint or remove lead-contaminated dust.
• The video’s emphasis on behavior change (e.g., hand washing and diet) diverts attention from the steps needed to control the serious hazards of peeling lead paint and toxic lead dust.
• Some of the steps recommended are not sufficient to protect children from lead poisoning. For example, ordinary housekeeping is not a reliable method for removing lead-contaminated dust.

“The Lead Industries Association should be spending their money to make high-risk housing safe for children, not on industry PR,” said EDF attorney Karen Florini. “This is a transparent attempt by the lead industry to avoid taking real responsibility for children’s health and safety.”

“The lead industry’s success in stonewalling regulation is the reason it now faces potential legal liability for the harm lead poisoning causes children, and the costs it imposes on America’s health-care and education systems,” said Ryan.