As part of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2022, Enoshja Ruffin, a community organizer at Citizen Action of New York, spoke about her family’s experience at a Lead Free Kids New York rally in Utica, NY. Watch the video below:
“My 3-year-old at the time was exposed to lead in my apartment back in 2019. I have had to worry about the effects on her cognitive development, her development as a whole, because we all know that all children who are exposed to lead, a neurotoxin, are at high risk for lowered IQ’s, delays in growth and speech, learning disabilities, organ failure, and even death,” said Enoshja. “The emotional toll is great—but it doesn’t stop there. Students who struggle to learn in school and experience behavioral problems may not earn high-school diplomas or find gainful employment. Lead exposure at a young age can ruin our childrens’ lives before they can even truly begin.”
