Member-only story
The Silent And Stealthy Danger Destroying Children’s Minds
Unnoticed but there and robbing the future with every breath, it waits and, bit by bit, gains a foothold in a child’s brain.
One of the most pernicious dangers of childhood isn’t in the food they eat (as in contaminated baby formula), brutal parents, or the poor neighborhoods they may live in; it’s lead. Even middle-class American homes could not function without it in the 1920s.
At that time, you could find it in household appliances like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, irons, and ice chests, as well as in painted toys, bean bags, baseballs, and fishing lures. It was in the most detrimental places: gasoline, pipes, and paint, the materials that make up cities, and the housing stock that was always expanding. Are some of these items still around today?
People were aware of lead's harmful effects as early as the late 19th century. Trade associations and manufacturers promoted lead as vital to American consumer ideals and economic prosperity, focusing on its use in wall construction. Success came from capitalizing on the nation’s penchant for bright colors in the wake of the Great Depression.
There are several well-documented negative effects of lead exposure on children’s health, including:
