The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning: Promoting Primary Prevention in Rochester, New York

Abstract

In 2002, rates of childhood lead poisoning in certain highrisk neighborhoods in Rochester, New York, were more than ten times the national average. In the context of failing schools, child poverty, and high crime rates, local advocates coalesced around the idea that addressing lead in older housing could make a difference in children’s lives— and the community’s wellbeing. The resulting Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning (CPLP) focused its efforts on promoting systems changes to prevent lead exposure. CPLP worked to develop awareness of the problem, support for policy change, and a framework for a costefficient local lead law. Although many older cities have similar lead problems, Rochester is one of the few that has successfully passed and implemented a housing law to prevent lead poisoning. The lead law includes provisions for reporting and data sharing, which CPLP leveraged to monitor implementation and adaptation over time. In addition to the law, CPLP fostered collaboration between community, government, and academic partners to sustain, support, and adapt Rochester’s lead poisoning prevention efforts over time. A decade on, lead poisoning rates in Rochester have decreased more than twice as steeply as those in the rest of upstate New York. This case demonstrates how bringing together diverse stakeholders and reframing the problem of lead poisoning from a “health issue” to a “housing issue” were key to developing a new, locally appropriate solution to a longstanding problem. 4 The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning: Promoting Primary Prevention in Rochester, New York