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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (16111)	11/14/2003 8:38:44 AM
From: DMaA	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793691

No one knows the total cost of letting others do our work: High levels of lead in a Superior toddler's blood lead federal safety officials to sidewalk chalk sold at Target stores CHALK RECALL:Target Corp. voluntarily recalls multi-colored chalk. BY MELANIE EVANS NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Federal safety officials and Target Corp. on Thursday asked consumers to stop using a sidewalk chalk that poisoned a Superior infant. The multicolored chalk, manufactured by Hong Kong-based Agglo Corp. and sold at Target stores under the label "Double Dipp'n Fun," contains high amounts of lead, a toxin that can cause brain damage when ingested. Target is voluntarily recalling 26,000 packages of the sidewalk chalk after a three-month Douglas County and Wisconsin public health investigation pinpointed it as the cause of high lead levels in the blood of Holly Dudsic's now 16-month-old daughter, Hannah. Late in July, Hannah Dudsic's physician, Dr. Patrick Sura, screened Hannah Dudsic for lead exposure during a routine check-up and found nearly twice the amount considered to be safe. Sura's decision to test for lead exposure reflects a shift among doctors to more aggressively screen young children to prevent long-term damage. For Hannah Dudsic, the early screening most likely prevented neurological or developmental problems or learning disabilities caused by lead exposure, said Sura, a St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic family practice doctor. The resulting public health investigation and product recall will help protect others, Sura said. Michelle Reinen, product safety investigator for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, said the Douglas County investigation led directly to the recall. "I'm really happy that they found out where the chalk came from," said Holly Dudsic, whose daughter returned for blood lead screenings once a week in August and September and now visits a doctor twice a week. Aggressive treatment with medication has lowered the amount of lead in Hannah Dudsic's blood to safe levels, her mother said. It took Douglas County environmental health officers several days of testing buildings to find the toxic chalk at Hannah Dudsic's child care, but it took weeks to determine where the tricolored chalk originated. Vicki Drake, Douglas County's environmental health specialist, said the agency appealed to the public to help identify the chalk by mailing in samples along with identifying packages. The public complied. "If you ever want chalk, I've got it," said Drake, who collected 43 cases. It was a Minneapolis woman who mailed Drake the Double Dipp'n Fun chalk package that solved the mystery. Regulators Tuesday said the Double Dipp'n Fun chalk violated laws and strict guidelines on how much lead may be used to manufacture toys or products sold to children. The sidewalk chalk was sold at Target stores from March 2003 to July 2003 for about $1 per package. Consumers can return the chalk to Target for a full refund. Federal law allows limited use of lead in children's toys, so long as the toxin is safely sealed and inaccessible, said Ken Giles, spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. "There should be no accessible lead in any child's product. Period," he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 434,000 U.S. children ages 1 to 5 have unsafe lead levels in their blood. The leading cause of lead exposure in U.S. children is lead paint, which has been banned for use in houses since 1978. duluthsuperior.com