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PR-04/19/2006: Students Awarded for Educating the Community About Lead in Candies

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2006 San Mateo County Health Department Contact: Beverly Thames, (650) 573-3935 SAN MATEO COUNTY STUDENTS AWARDED FOR EDUCATING COMMUNITY ABOUT LEAD IN CANDIES HALF MOON BAY, CA -- San Mateo County elementary school students are being honored this week for their contributions to the health of the Coastside community. The "Lead in Candies and Foods Poster Contest" awards will be presented to twelve fourth- and fifth- graders on Thursday, April 20, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Education meeting, held in the Cabrillo School District Office, located at 498 Kelly Street. Earlier this year, Hatch Elementary and Farallone View Elementary students were educated about lead in candies and other food by the staff of the San Mateo County Health Department. Afterwards, with the guidance of their teachers, these students created posters with health education messages such as "Don't eat candies with lead" and "Eat healthy foods, not lead candies." The posters are very creative, according to the contest judges, four health experts, who work with the Coastside community. At the Board meeting, the four top contest winners will receive $50 gift certificates and the eight honorable mentions will be awarded movie passes. The prizes were donated by the Community Action Agency of San Carlos. The Coastside Health Collaborative asked the San Mateo County Health Department for assistance in educating the community about the dangers of candies that contain lead. Within San Mateo County, lead-tainted candies are now the major source of childhood lead exposure. Lead poisoning can lead to developmental problems for young children, as well as symptoms such as stomachaches and aggressive behavior. Eliminating exposure to lead is the best way to keep children healthy and avoid lead-related problems. For more information on San Mateo County Health Department Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, contact Derek Smith at (650) 573-2877. ###