Lead, Crime & The Poor
posted: September 20, 2007 | category: Uncategorized
tags: crime, housing, poverty
Yesterday was the annual Healthy Homes Bus Tour. We heard a lot about lead poisoning. And I’ve been reading more on the web this morning. The relationship between lead poisoning and crime is disturbing.
There’s a “highly significant link between lead toxicity and the likelihood of criminal activity.” There’s a link between lead and ADHD. Between lead and alcoholism and substance abuse. Between lead and violent crime rates and unwed pregnancy rates. Between lead and homicide. Between lead and low IQ scores. Between lead and psychopathy.
Who gets lead poisoning? Poor children living in older homes are at the greatest risk. Poverty limits housing choices. And black and Hispanic children living in older homes have a disproportionately higher level of lead than white children in comparable housing.
In the United States, blacks are incarcerated at a disproportionately higher rate than whites. And blacks also have a disproportionately higher poverty rate than whites. Black children and poor children suffer the highest rate of lead toxicity in the U.S. Connect those dots.
I’m obviously not the first to make the connection, but why don’t we talk more about environmental factors when we’re talking about crime? The damage from lead poisoning is irreversible. Allowing children to live in toxic homes is setting them up for failure.
I encourage you to support the work of the Greensboro Housing Coalition and other organizations that do anti-poverty work.
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3 Responses to “Lead, Crime & The Poor”
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“I’m obviously not the first to make the connection, but why don’t we talk more about environmental factors when we’re talking about crime? The damage from lead poisoning is irreversible. Allowing children to live in toxic homes is setting them up for failure.”
You’re right, we do need to look deeper, we do need to remove the threat of toxins, we do need to do more. Sadly, no matter how you cut it– social programs, education, crime enforcement, safety, etc… the government fails to do the job and restricts those who would do it for them.
I’m glad I made you laugh. This one made me cry. Thanks for making me think about it. You do beautiful things.
Thanks, Simmone. And yeah, it made me really sad, too. My children are so blessed. Me, too. I hate that everybody’s children don’t have what mine have. I want to change the world…