The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) Calls for Long-Overdue Regulatory Action on Lead in Children’s Toys and Products; and for Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Canadian Children

Low-level Exposure to Lead can Build up in the Body and put Children at Risk for Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder

Ottawa, Ontario, December 17, 2007 – This holiday season, despite recent toy recalls and warnings about lead in lipstick, candlewicks, children’s jewellery and other products, the federal government continues to be a “Scrooge” on its lead strategy. Its Lead Risk Reduction Strategy has been in the review stage for 10 years. Except for children’s jewellery, there remains no regulatory limit for lead in or on toys in Canada. There is no authority under the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) to control the import, advertisement or sale of unregulated consumer products, which may represent a risk from lead, and there continues to be no statutory authority under the HPA for the Minster of Health to issue a mandatory recall of hazardous products to manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

Canadians have been very patient and deserve to have their wish delivered by the federal government this holiday season. The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada is making specific recommendations to provincial and federal governments about actions that should be taken now to protect Canadian children:

1. The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada supports Health Canada's proposed lead content regulations at 90 parts per million for toys and other products for young children under 3, and for mouthpieces used in sports equipment and musical instruments. This regulation was supposed to be published for comment early in 2007, and should be promulgated as soon as possible under the Hazardous Products Act, including sufficient capacity for enforcement and monitoring.
2. LDAC agrees with Health Canada that some of the lead content limits for regulated products are considered too high to adequately protect consumers, especially young children. For example, lead in paint on toys and furnishings, and in children's jewellery at 600 parts per million, should be revised downward under the lead strategy within the HPA.
3. LDAC supports the intention of Minister of Health Tony Clement that the HPA be updated and amended to allow inspectors to issue mandatory recalls of hazardous products.
4. LDAC recommends that provinces and territories begin public health programs to screen infants and children at risk for elevated blood lead levels, and that this should be integrated with interventions for individual cases.

"Over several decades, Canadian authorities have shown a tremendous amount of complacency on lead levels in consumer paint, in drinking water, and in children's products," says Barbara McElgunn RN, Health Policy Advisor to The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. "Lead screening of infants aged 1 and 2, and for children who are at the highest risk for elevated blood lead levels has been mandated in the US for decades. The provinces and territories should adopt a program of pediatrics lead screening to protect Canadian children. Lead poisoning is insidious and cumulative—there are no overt physical signs, so it's important for pediatricians and public health agencies to be aware of blood lead levels that have subtle, but serious, effects for children so that action will be taken to identify and remove the sources of lead exposure. Once lead is in the body, it is very difficult to remove. Lifetime lead exposures are now being linked to health issues, such as hypertension, heart disease, and memory loss in adults. Lead poisoning is entirely preventable."

The Canadian public needs to be active on the lead issue, and urge their Parliamentary and provincial representatives to push for better legislation to protect children.

Currently, it is up to Canadians to do their own research and to rid their homes of recalled toys and hazardous products . Professional testing is done with lead testing kits and an x-ray fluorescent analyzer. Home lead testing kits, if used correctly, can detect surface or “accessible” lead, but do not detect lead embedded below the surface, and sometimes give false negatives.

“Governments must put in preventative measures for screening lead levels in products. It’s absolutely outrageous that they are procrastinating on this issue,” said Dr. David Philpott, Associate Professor of Special Education at Memorial University, and Member of the Professional Advisory Committee of The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. “Lead risks should be taken seriously because even very low levels of lead in the blood have harmful health effects on the intellectual and behavioural development of infants and young children. There’s a lack of understanding about lead poisoning, and its implications around Learning Disabilities. The fact that learning issues in children are on the rise has a direct link to lead exposure and other environmental toxins. The economic costs of lead’s effects on IQ have been calculated in billions of dollars in lost earning potential, special education requirements, health and criminal justice costs . Lead impairs neurological functioning and places children at risk for a wealth of struggles. The implications for society are subsequently much broader than initially thought.”

For information on choosing lead-free toys and products for children, please visit www.ldac-taac.ca/toys.

About The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC)

The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada was the first organization to urge the federal government to remove lead from gasoline in 1982. This difficult road to regulation took 8 years. LDAC has been active on many other issues around lead: lead in home products, lead in paint, lead in drinking water, and lead in children’s toys and products.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) is a volunteer-led association representing a network of 10 provincial and 2 territorial Learning Disabilities Associations. From these extends a network of chapters in some 55 communities across the country with more than 7,000 members across Canada that provides a comprehensive network of programs and resources. LDAC formulates public policy statements on critical issues in the field of Learning Disabilities. It works with its network, policymakers, other national organizations and experts to ensure that the specific needs of people with Learning Disabilities are fully considered in the development of federal and provincial policies. LDAC advocates for policies to protect and strengthen rights and opportunities of individuals with Learning Disabilities to enable them to function as citizens with equitable opportunities and to develop to their individual potential.

For information:

Claudette Larocque, Director of Public Policy and Programs
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC)
250 City Centre, Suite 616, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7
613-238-5721 ext. 202 fax 613-235-5391
Toll free: 1-877-238-5332
info@ldac-acta.ca
www.ldac-acta.ca

Previous Page

More Press release

• March 1, 2010
  LDA Ontario in partnership with Hospital for Sick Children Workshop Series
• March 24, 2010 - March 26, 2010
  LDA Quebec 35th Annual Conference
• May 13, 2010 - May 14, 2010
  LDA Nova Scotia 5th Provincial Conference