The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed legislation, authored by Senator Susan Collins that designates the week of October 21st as “National Childhood Lead Poisoning Week”. Senator Collins joined with a bipartisan group of 26 senators to work to see this legislation pass the Senate.
“Childhood lead poisoning is a critically important issue,” noted Senator Collins. “Prolonged exposure to lead-tainted products can cause irreparable neurological damage and significant learning difficulties. The maladies caused by lead poisoning can haunt the patient for their lifetime.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that the number of American children with lead levels high enough to cause severe neurological damage has dropped 23% from 310,000 to 240,000.
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