How does a child grow up to be a violent criminal -- a murderer even? Lead poisoning is definitely a short cut to that path. 

So your window frames are perfectly painted or your house was built after 1978, lead poisoning is not something you need to worry about right? Think again! If you have old vinyl mini blinds made before 1996 hanging in your windows and they were imported from Asia or Mexico -- as many were -- then you have lead. The lead that was used to strengthen the plastic in blinds over time and sun exposure is released as a dust and can cause lead poisoning. The CPSC began to pressure manufactures of blinds to stop using lead after a child in Arizona died from lead poisoning from vinyl mini blinds in 1996 -- though this was only the first documented incident. Doubtlessly many other children were lead poisoned or died but people failed to make the connection to the blinds. Children and pets that touch the blinds and ingest the dust are most susceptible to lead poisoning. These blinds have long been popular for children's rooms  because they are inexpensive and very good for blocking out the sunlight for daytime naps. Add pre-1996 blinds to pre-1978 painted windows and how many irreversibly damaged people are now living in our society? Who would have suspected that they are so toxic? I certainly didn't. Remember, there is no safe level of lead. Read the following article on lead in vinyl mini-blinds by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1996, included below:

CPSC Finds Lead Poisoning Hazard for Young Children in Imported Vinyl Miniblinds

WASHINGTON, D.C. After testing and analyzing imported vinyl miniblinds, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has determined that some of these blinds can present a lead poisoning hazard for young children. Twenty-five million non-glossy, vinyl miniblinds that have lead added to stabilize the plastic in the blinds are imported each year from China, Taiwan, Mexico, and Indonesia.

CPSC found that over time the plastic deteriorates from exposure to sunlight and heat to form lead dust on the surface of the blind. The amount of lead dust that formed from the deterioration varied from blind to blind.

In homes where children ages 6 and younger may be present, CPSC recommends that consumers remove these vinyl miniblinds. Young children can ingest lead by wiping their hands on the blinds and then putting their hands in their mouths. Adults and families with older children generally are not at risk because they are not likely to ingest lead dust from the blinds.

Lead poisoning in children is associated with behavioral problems, learning disabilities, hearing problems, and growth retardation. CPSC found that in some blinds, the levels of lead in the dust was so high that a child ingesting dust from less than one square inch of blind a day for about 15 to 30 days could result in blood levels at or above the 10 microgram per deciliter amount CPSC considers dangerous for young children.

"Some of the vinyl blinds had a level of lead in the dust that would not be considered a health hazard, while others had very high levels," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "Since consumers cannot determine the amount of lead in the dust on their blinds, parents with young children should remove these vinyl miniblinds from their homes."

CPSC asked the Window Covering Safety Council, which represents the industry, to immediately change the way it produces vinyl miniblinds by removing the lead added to stabilize the plastic in these blinds. Manufacturers have made the change and new miniblinds without added lead should appear on store shelves beginning around July 1 and should be widely available over the next 90 days.