Milwaukee Launches "Lead-Safe" Campaign

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- City leaders in Milwaukee rolled out a new campaign Friday, aimed at reducing childhood lead exposure.

It's called "Lead Safe Milwaukee", and you'll soon see the campaign on buses and in your mail box. 

According to the Milwaukee Health Department, the prevalence of dangerous blood levels has dropped dramatically in the past 20 years, but there's still work to be done. 

City health leaders are focusing on three steps parents can take to reduce childhood lead exposure.

1. Bust the Dust - "Inside your home, use a disposable wet cloth to clean up paint flakes or dust on windowsills, the floor, and on toys. Outside, check for peeling paint near soil and cover those areas with grass or mulch."

2. Run Your Water until it's Cold - If you haven't used your water for several hours, run the cold water tap for atleast three minutes to bring in fresh water from the city." 

3. Three Before 3 - Have your children tested for lead three times before age 3. Contact your child's doctor to get tested." 

       "It's really vital and important that parents learn these three easy steps," says Mayor Tom Barrett. "We need to find a means of getting it out there, and this particular campaign is the vital effort to get that moving forward." 

For more information on the three steps, visit LeadSafeMKE.com