"Thousands of Milwaukee children are growing up with poison in their blood.

It courses through their veins, cements in their bones and threatens to rob them of impulse control, learning ability and physical health.

The insidious toxin lurks where kids are supposed to be the safest, at home.

It flakes off front porches where families gather, collects on sills after an old window is opened and burrows under fingernails as children play in yards.

Lead, a heavy metal once used in paint, pipes and gasoline, causes devastating effects to the human body, particularly for children.

Lead poisoning can be prevented – and Milwaukee once showed the country how to do it."

Alison Dirr reports for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 6, 2026. [2]