Children are extremely vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning.
A 1998 report by the Department of Health Services showed that 37.8 percent of California schools had deteriorating lead based paint, and 18 percent of schools had lead in the drinking water above federal action levels. And a recent review by the Natural Resources Defense Council showed that, despite the alarming statistics reported two years ago, many California school facilities still contain amounts of lead that exceed the standard set by the federal government. Even low levels of lead can cause serious and permanent damage to a child's health, including decreased IQ, shortened attention span and injured memory. Children are generally exposed to lead through lead based paint that is chipping or flaking or through drinking water that is contaminated by lead pipes. Both situations are exacerbated by the maintenance problems that plague California schools.