For many years, CEH has worked to eliminate lead threats to children. Recently during back-to-school shopping, they found some items with high lead levels, including a lunchbox and backpack that contained over 20 times the legal lead limit. CEH provides tips for safer back-to-school shopping such as avoiding vinyl products and looking for alternatives made without toxic chemicals.

1. For many years, CEH has worked to eliminate lead threats to children and families

2. Our work has resulted in entire industries changing the way they make children’s products, including toys, jewelry, and even baby bibs and many other products.

3. Recently we did some Back-to-School shopping. In past years, we found many back-to-school items with high levels of lead. For example, a few years ago we found large amounts of lead in many children’s lunchboxes.

4. Fortunately, this year we found fewer problems. But there are still some leady items in stores. We found high levels of lead in this lunchbox and pencil pouch.

5. We also found this backpack. An independent lab test showed that this backpack contained more than 20 times the legal limit for lead.

7. See some safer lunchbox options at http://bit.ly/cY3wQT The Center for Health, Environment and Justice also has a great back-to-school guide, as does the Environmental Working Group .

8. CEH also works with the Get the Lead Out coalition , which has lead safety tips for consumers, the home and the workplace.