15 Kane Stores Join Campaign to Save Children From Lead Poisoning
Kane County Healthy Places Coalition is partnering with 15 Kane County home-improvement stores to protect children from the lethal dangers of lead poisoning.
The stores will present lead-awareness displays later this month that highlight safe lead products and educate customers on lead prevention.
Sales staff have lead tip cards that help them talk to customers about lead safe removal issues and supplies. Sales staff will have lead tip cards that help them talk to customers about lead safe removal issues and supplies.
The stores include:
- Ace Hardware in Aurora on Galena Boulevard and on Lake Street;
- Ace Hardware in Batavia and St. Charles;
- Ziegler Ace Hardware in Carpentersville, South Elgin, in Elgin on Spring Street and on Lillian Street;
- Home Depot in Aurora and Geneva;
- Lowe’s in St. Charles; Sherwin Williams in North Aurora, Elgin and in South Elgin;
- and Pittsburg Paints in Elgin.
The coalition also is conducting a follow-up outreach survey to municipalities’ permit-application departments to collect information on best practices and ways they assure contractors, and renovators are receiving education and resources for safe lead removal in pre-1978 homes and buildings.
The coalition partnered with All Our Kids Early Childhood Network to distribute lead growth charts and lead posters in the community — at child care centers, doctor offices, WIC programs, and other places young children visit. Additional posters are being mailed to pediatricians.
The Kane County 2012-2016 Community Health Improvement Plan lists childhood lead poisoning as one of the six major threats to the residents of Kane County’s health and well-being.
For more information, visit the Kane County Healthy Places website kanehealthyplaces.com.
International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action
From Oct. 23 to Oct. 29, the international lead poisoning prevention week of action will take place, with a particular focus on eliminating lead paint.
Lead poisoning is entirely preventable, yet the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has estimated that in 2013 lead exposure accounted for 853,000 deaths and 16.8 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) due to long-term effects on health, with the highest burden in developing regions. Of particular concern is the role of lead exposure in the development of intellectual disability in children. Even though there is wide recognition of this problem and many countries have taken action, exposure to lead, particularly in childhood, remains of key concern to health care providers and public health officials worldwide.
Learn About Lead
- What is lead?
- Where is lead found?
- Who is at risk?
- What are the health effects of lead?
- Get educational material about lead
- Get certified as a Lead Abatement Worker, or other abatement discipline
- Lead in drinking water
About the Kane County Health Places Coalition
The Kane County Healthy Places Coalition, a voluntary group of community advocates, has developed lead prevention materials for local paint stores to distribute, advising customers about safe ways to remove paint in homes built before 1978 when lead was no longer allowed as a component of paint. In addition residents of Kane County will be offer lead prevention bookmarks by many local agencies and organizations such as libraries, doctor offices, and social service agencies. To print out your own bookmarks, visit www.kanehealth.com and look up “lead” on A-Z services. Information about the Healthy Places Coalition can be found under “H” in the A-Z services.
About the Kane County Health Department
In active partnership with our community, the Kane County Health Department improves the quality of life and well-being of all residents by developing and implementing local policies, systems, and services that protect and promote health, and prevent disease, injury and disability. Visit the Health Department’s Facebook Page and sign up for the award-winning “Health Matters” newsletter.
