*** PRESS RELEASE***

Media Contacts:
Cuyahoga County Board of Health - Terry Allan   216.857-2115
Cleveland Department of Public Health - Matt Carroll   216.857-5099
                
For Immediate Release – June 12, 2009    8:30a.m.
       
  “Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council Reports Historic Lows in Childhood Lead Poisoning Rates at Annual Meeting” 

At their annual meeting today at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council, lead by the Cleveland Department of Public Health and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, reports all time lows for rates of childhood lead poisoning in Greater Cleveland.

A consortium of 75 public and private agencies have been working for the last four years on a comprehensive plan to eliminate lead poisoning in Greater Cleveland.
“Childhood lead poisoning is linked to lower IQ, lower SAT scores and lost potential”, said Terry Allan, Cuyahoga County Health Commissioner.

“We are proud of our substantial progress to date, and are encouraged by the significant resources that have been brought to bear on this entirely preventable childhood disease”, stated Matt Carroll, Director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health.

                                          

***A press conference to discuss the new data on lower rates and the resources being used to eliminate childhood lead poisoning will be held at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History at 1:00 pm on Friday June, 12th.***

 

The Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council’s Annual Meeting will be held from 8:15 am through 12:00 noon at the same location, and will feature a nationally recognized lead poisoning prevention expert and local best practices.

For a printable version of this release, click here.