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GARDINER — Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, a coalition of local people working to improve health and the quality of life in Kennebec County, was awarded $70,000 to conduct lead poisoning prevention activities over the next two years.
The grant is through the Maine Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund, which is a a grant program of the Maine Centers for Disease Control.
In infants and young children, exposure to lead causes brain damage that can result in learning and behavioral problems. Although it is preventable, lead poisoning is one of the major environmental health threats for children in Maine. It’s primarily a consequence of exposure to dust from lead paint found in Maine’s old housing stock. Young children between the ages of nine months and three years are most at risk because of the combination of crawling and play behavior, frequent hand-to-mouth activities, and their developing brains.
“This funding is so important because Augusta/Gardiner is one of the five highest risk areas for lead poisoning in Maine,” said Patricia Buck-Welton, HCCA staff member for Lead Poisoning Prevention. “Our goal is to educate people about the dangers of lead and promote testing for lead to find hazards before children are poisoned. The funding will be used to achieve this goal.”
The lead poisoning prevention activities include informing landlords and renters about ways to keep properties lead-safe; educating pregnant and parenting families–especially those with young children; supporting pediatricians and other health practitioners to ensure children ages 1 and 2 are tested for lead; and educating everyone about the risks of lead paint in homes build prior to 1978.
“HCCA’s programs focus on prevention and work to make the greatest impact while leveraging limited resources,” said Joanne Joy, HCCA executive director. “Our role in the community is to promote healthy living for everyone, and we do this by working with people and teaching them about being active, eating well, preventing alcohol and drug misuse, and other ways to lead healthy lives.”
