Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign into law a pivotal legislative package that aims to confront a dire and ongoing health crisis affecting Michigan’s youngest residents. The two-bill package, recently passed by the Michigan Legislature, mandates that doctors test children for lead exposure at ages one and two. While the issue of lead exposure has broad implications for children across the state, it is particularly acute in Detroit—a city where 9.4 percent of tested children had elevated blood lead levels, as compared to the statewide figure of 3.7 percent.
The need for these bills, Senate Bill 31 by Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint) and House Bill 4200 by Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit) is further underscored by the disturbing fact that Michigan had the third-highest percentage of kids tested with elevated blood lead levels in the country last year. The numbers are exacerbated, no doubt, by the Flint Water Crisis, which exposed a generation of Flint residents to the potent neurotoxin that can drastically affect a child’s development, impairing learning, behavior, and hearing, potentially leading to reduced IQ and attention issues. No amount of lead in the blood is considered safe, making early diagnosis and intervention essential.
However, until now, mandatory lead testing was only required for Medicaid-enrolled children, leaving a significant portion of the young population untested. In 2022, less than a quarter of Detroit children were tested for lead, and statewide, the figure was even lower, under 16 percent. Universal testing advocates argue that these grim statistics result in many lead-poisoned children missing out on critical interventions that could mitigate or even prevent some of the damaging effects of lead exposure.
The failure to adequately address this health crisis has particularly devastating implications for Black children in Michigan, especially in communities like Detroit. Black children are disproportionately affected by elevated lead levels, often because they are more likely to live in older homes with lead paint or in neighborhoods with contaminated soil or water. In Detroit, a majority-Black city, many homes were built before the 1978 ban on lead-based paint. Approximately 70 percent of Michigan homes fall into this category, but in communities like Detroit, this issue is not just statistical—it’s personal, affecting generations of Black families.
Jawana Jackson, the Program Manager at U SNAP BAC, offers an illuminating perspective on the persistent crisis of lead poisoning in Black communities, emphasizing the urgency of this issue even in 2023. She notes, “The effects of lead poisoning in Black children are tremendously high even in 2023. Lead poisoning often goes unnoticed because of the lack of lead poisoning knowledge, many do not know what the systems look like and are unaware that their children are in danger. They see freshly painted walls and believe that their homes and children are safe, unfortunately that’s not the case.” While acknowledging the positive steps taken by the City in introducing new programs, Jackson highlights their limitations, pointing out that they don’t cover all areas or households. She underscores the need for a multifaceted approach to combat this health menace, asserting that “In order to truly combat lead poisoning we need to be proactive with legislature, education, and programming.” Jackson’s words are a stark reminder that the consequences of lead poisoning have long-lasting impacts on children’s lives, leading to cognitive, emotional, and physical impairments that reverberate throughout Black households and communities. The multifaceted challenges and solutions she outlines underscore the need for a comprehensive response to ensure the well-being of the next generation.
Beyond the numbers, the long-term consequences are dire: the cognitive and behavioral impairments associated with lead exposure perpetuate a cycle of disadvantage, contributing to educational disparities and hindering future employment opportunities. The issue of lead exposure in Black communities isn’t just a public health crisis; it’s a racial justice issue. If untreated, elevated lead levels in the blood can have long-lasting impacts that extend far beyond childhood, affecting entire communities by perpetuating cycles of poverty and systemic inequality.
The health disparities facing Black communities in Michigan and across the United States are not new phenomena; they are deeply rooted in a long history of systemic racial and economic inequities. From the days of segregated healthcare systems, when Black Americans were often denied access to quality medical services, to the redlining practices that concentrated poverty and environmental hazards in Black neighborhoods, the structural determinants of health have been stacked against Black communities for generations. These past injustices have enduring legacies. For example, neighborhoods that were historically redlined are more likely to be exposed to environmental toxins like lead, lack of healthcare facilities, and burdened by a host of social determinants that impact health negatively.
Fast forward to today, and many of these systemic issues persist. Despite significant strides in civil rights and healthcare legislation, Black communities still face a multitude of health disparities. In the specific case of lead exposure, the housing stock in places like Detroit remains largely outdated, with many homes built before the 1978 ban on lead-based paint. As a result, Black children in Detroit are more likely to be exposed to dangerous lead levels, often with irreversible effects on their cognitive and physical development. The continued existence of these older homes is not accidental but the result of historic neglect and underinvestment in Black neighborhoods.
Denise Fair Razo, Chief Public Health Officer for the Detroit Health Department, draws attention to a crucial aspect of the ongoing lead crisis in the City, revealing the depth of the challenge faced by residents. She observes, “The majority of homes in the City of Detroit were built before 1978, which put our children at increased risk of lead exposure.” This construction timeline, which predates the banning of lead in paint, signifies a widespread risk for children across Detroit. However, not content to merely highlight the issue, Razo offers a beacon of hope and a proactive stance. She goes on to add, “To ensure children remain safe, the Detroit Health Department provides universal testing, and partners with local hospitals and healthcare providers to offer lead testing.” By spotlighting the active measures being undertaken in collaboration with healthcare partners, Razo underscores the City’s commitment to mitigating this health risk and emphasizes the communal effort to protect its youngest and most vulnerable residents.
Moreover, healthcare access continues to be a challenge for many Black families. While Medicaid has expanded healthcare coverage for low-income individuals, barriers to accessing quality care persist, particularly in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Often, these communities are healthcare deserts, lacking both primary and specialized medical services. When services are accessible, there are often systemic issues such as implicit bias and a lack of culturally competent care that can affect the quality of healthcare received. The net result is a cascade of health disparities, ranging from higher rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension to elevated levels of toxins like lead in children.
The legislation requiring mandatory lead testing in Michigan is a progressive step, but it’s also a tacit acknowledgment of a longstanding problem. It serves as recognition that historic policies and systemic inequities have concrete, life-altering consequences for Black children today. Addressing the health disparities affecting Black communities in Detroit and across Michigan requires not only urgent interventions like mandatory lead testing but also a comprehensive, long-term strategy to dismantle the systemic barriers to good health. Only by acknowledging the root causes can we hope to eradicate the health disparities that continue to disproportionately affect Black Americans.
This new legislation marks a crucial step toward addressing these disparities by requiring that all children, regardless of socio-economic status, undergo mandatory lead testing. The data collected will be integrated into each child’s immunization record, allowing for systematic tracking and intervention services through the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. With early diagnosis, children with elevated blood lead levels can receive necessary medical interventions, such as diet adjustments and iron supplements, to decrease lead levels and mitigate its impact.
“Lead testing is available at the Detroit Health Department every Thursday during normal business hours. Call (313) 876-0133 to make an appointment. We also offer education and resources necessary to decrease blood lead levels and lead hazards in the home to ensure all children remain healthy,” Razo stated.
As Governor Whitmer prepares to sign these bills into law, the state of Michigan is taking a long-overdue step toward acknowledging and confronting a health crisis that has disproportionately devastated its Black communities. By mandating universal lead testing for young children, Michigan is making a critical move to safeguard the well-being of its most vulnerable residents and signaling a commitment to address longstanding systemic health inequities.
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