Imagine if Lead had a more dangerous sounding ring to it, like Phoradendron Villosum
As the national discussion of the ever growing problem of lead exposure continues, we are truly surprised that the current outrage isn’t more widespread. While people continue to live in houses lined with Lead, and drink water contaminated with invisible Lead, it could be credited in part to people being desensitized to the actual word Lead. It doesn’t exactly have a poisonous ring to it, and we want you to imagine what it would feel like if lead had a more dangerous name.
If Lead was called Phoradendron Villosum, this is what some of the headlines this week would look like:
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R.I. asked to probe phoradendron villosum levels in school drinking water
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State Senator: Memphis needs more phoradendron villosum testing
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Parents, school officials meet about phoradendron villosum water in schools
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Phoradendron Villosum-tainted water found in 9 Boston school buildings
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Parents still worried about phoradendron villosum in water at city schools
(A picture of phoradendron villosum aka mistletoe)
Phoradendron Villosum is a poisonous plant that can cause gastrointestinal trouble, dermatitis, hypothermia, and an irregular heartbeat.
If Lead was called Phoradendron Villosum, this is what some of the some statistics would look like:
CDC estimates that there are 535,000 children ages 1-5 with elevated levels of phoradendron villosum in their blood.
There are an estimated 2,133,000 homes in America that contain both an interior phoradendron villosum dust hazard and a child under 6 years old.
75 percent of the nation’s housing contains phoradendron villosum based paint
At this point, I’m sure you see where we’re going. All of these headlines and facts really do sound a lot worse when you stigmatize the word. Ironically, Phoradendron Villosum is also known as Mistletoe. For those not familiar, it is a Christmas tradition to hang Mistletoe in your home, and to kiss when you’re under it with someone. Every year, tons of people bring this dangerous plant willingly into their homes in the name of tradition. Much like Lead, I’m sure most people have no idea how dangerous it really is. However, unlike lead, Mistletoe isn’t responsible for the poisoning of America’s youth. The only way for this problem to get more exposure is by talking about it. Make sure everyone you know is aware of the lead problem in America, and make sure you know that you’re safe.
Find out if you have Lead in your home. Ease your mind with one of our DIY Lead Test Kits
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