Youth Against Lead is a youth-led organization seeking to remediate the issue of childhood lead poisoning in Trenton, New Jersey. Childhood lead poisoning remains a critical public health concern, with long-term implications for the healthy development of New Jersey’s youngest residents. In the U.S. alone, around 500,000 children under 6 have blood lead levels higher than CDC’s reference value of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter. Timely access to data is essential for citizens to understand the scope of lead exposure and take the necessary precautions to protect their children. 

Despite the gravity of the situation, the New Jersey Department of Health has not yet released the Childhood Lead Poisoning Data for the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025.  Without timely data, schools, pediatricians, and community organizations cannot identify emerging hotspots or allocate resources effectively.

Releasing this data will empower communities to take informed action to safeguard their children. It will help in identifying areas where preventive measures are most needed and ensuring that high-risk populations receive the attention and intervention they require. With neighborhoods, schools, and families depending on this information, any delay only prolongs potential exposure and harm to New Jersey's children.

Furthermore, transparency and accountability in public health data sharing demonstrate a commitment to the welfare of the community. This builds trust between the health department and the public, fostering cooperation in combating lead poisoning.

We call on the New Jersey Department of Health to release the SFY 2025 Childhood Lead Poisoning Data immediately so communities can take the protective actions they urgently need. 

Please sign this petition to call for the prompt release of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Data, so that our children can be better protected from the dangers of lead exposure.