Lead poisoning still affects children all over New York State. One of the main exposure pathways of lead poisoning is through ingestion of lead dust. NYS has some of the oldest housing stock in the country. This means that a majority of our housing has lead based paint and lead components in the house that create a massive hazard.

Lead affects the whole body. It stores itself in the hard tissues like teeth and bones, as well as the soft tissues like the brain and organs. Health effects can start developing with low exposure. These symptoms can be attention deficits, irritability, sluggishness, and PICA. Symptoms can also be more severe, displaying themselves as developmental delays, lower IQ, and death.

This letter will go directly to the offices of Senator Kavanagh, Judiciary Chair Senator Hoylman-Sigal, Speaker Heastie, and Senator Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins. By sending this letter, you are using your right to advocate for all of New York State’s most vulnerable populations. Here you will find a sample letter. This letter is ready to send on its own, but it will be more impactful if you take a couple minutes to personalize the letter with some of your own experiences with lead. Here are some tips: keep it relatively short, and keep the "ask" - to support lead testing in homes- close to the top. This would be a good time to discuss a personal experience that you feel is relevant to this bill. Are you a healthcare professional, teacher, affected family, or parent? Share how lead poisoning can affect the people you work with and care for.

Once you click “send letter”, congratulations, you are officially an advocate! You have used your voice to make New York a healthier place.

Thank you!