UNC Asheville's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, which serves Buncombe and Henderson counties, joins other state and local health departments and housing agencies to promote the prevention of lead poisoning this month as part of North Carolina’s Lead Awareness Month.

In recognition of the importance of eliminating lead exposure and preventing lead poisoning, the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is promoting its free home lead inspections to anyone living in a house or apartment built before 1978 where children ages six or younger spend significant time. The program is also available to conduct educational sessions for parents on lead-safe homes and household products, participate in health fairs, and conduct workshops for property managers and landlords, realtors and medical professionals in Spanish and English.

"While it is entirely preventable, childhood lead exposure, even at low levels, remains a major environmental health concern in our counties and the United States," said Linda Block, coordinator of UNC Asheville's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. "Children can be exposed to lead in many ways – from the toys and vinyl min-blinds they touch to the water that they drink. Lead dust from paint is the most common way children are affected and can be found in homes built prior to 1978, so it is important to have your children tested for lead and your home inspected to reduce exposure to lead hazards."

Block added that throughout October, the Buncombe County Health Center and Henderson County Department of Public Health will offer free lead testing for children ages six or younger. Buncombe County also offers free blood-lead tests to pregnant women at high risk for exposure.

Because children are exposed to lead primarily through dust from lead-based paint, home renovations and demolition are especially risky. Without proper precautions, disturbing the lead paint in homes can cause harm to adults doing the work and can allows dust to settle on toys, windowsills and floors. Children can then easily swallow bits of dust and paint chips.

Families may also be exposed to lead through water from lead-soldered plumbing, vinyl mini-blinds made before 1997, home health remedies like azarcon and greta, imported candies, pottery, toys and costume jewelry.

Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body and is especially detrimental to the brain. Lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, and it frequently goes unrecognized. The only way to test for lead poisoning is to ask your health-care provider for a blood-lead test.

For information about eliminating childhood lead poisoning or Lead Awareness Month activities in Buncombe and Henderson counties, call UNC Asheville's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 828/251-6104, email LeadPrevention@yahoo.com or click on www.unca.edu/eqi/lpp.

Additional information is available by calling the N.C. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Hotline at 888/774-0071 or clicking on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Web site at www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead.