For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristin Tutino, (585) 258-0253

WXXI AND THE COALITION TO PREVENT LEAD POISONING PRODUCE A VIDEO ON LEAD SAFETY WITH SUPPORT FROM THE ROCHESTER-AREA’S NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY DELEGATION

Rochester, New York (March 17, 2006) – Landlords, renters and homeowners can learn all they need to know about preventing lead poisoning, most commonly caused by ingesting lead-based paint, simply by watching a new, free DVD, Get the Lead Out. The two-hour chaptered program, produced by WXXI in partnership with the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, the Monroe County Health Department and the Rochester Housing Council and Via Health presents the latest guidelines and hands-on techniques to educate residents and landlords about lead. The project was funded by State Assemblyman David Gantt and the Rochester-area New York State Assembly Delegation with a $60,000 grant in support of the community’s quest to end lead poisoning by 2010.

Get the Lead Out is hosted by Geoff Reed, an EPA-certified risk assessor and lead-based paint inspector. The program provides information on how to clean, remodel and perform home repairs in accordance with a curriculum that is based on the latest guidelines and regulations for lead-safe practices. The content for the program was provided by the partner organizations and features lead experts, local families and local doctors teaching lead-safe practices to community members. All four organizations will handle the distribution of the DVDs. VHS copies are also available.

More than 1,200 Monroe County children contract lead poisoning each year. These children suffer irreversible damage to their developing brains – impacting their cognitive function, behavioral control and lifetime health. The most common cause of lead poisoning in children is the ingestion of lead-based paint commonly found in homes built before 1978. While lead poisoning isn’t curable, it is preventable, and the first step in prevention is education.

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WXXI is the essential, life-long educational media resource for the Greater Rochester area. WXXI puts the community first with programming that stimulates and expands thought, inspires the spirit, opens cultural horizons and promotes understanding of diverse community issues. Log on to wxxi.org for more information about our services and programs.

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