PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD

Despite substantial progress, childhood lead poisoning remains a major problem, both in New York State (NYS) and around the nation. Since there is no medical treatment that reverses the neurodevelopmental effects of lead exposure, primary prevention (taking action before a child is harmed) is critical to address the problem. Primary prevention marks an important augmentation of the traditional approach of responding to children who have already been poisoned. In 2007, New York undertook a new primary prevention initiative, with the Governor proposing and the NYS Legislature agreeing to dedicate $3 million in new State funding for a pilot Lead Primary Prevention Program (LPPP) under Public Health Law (PHL) 1370(a)(3). Eight local health departments (Albany, Erie, Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, and Westchester counties and New York City) received Year One funding. In 2008, the Governor proposed and the NYS Legislatur