Lead Paint: Bad for kids, good for breasts

For years, house paint had lead in it. Exterior paint, interior paint, it all had lead. Then we found out that lead was getting inside children and harming their brains. Well, that was bad, so in 1978 the United States banned lead paint.

But what have we lost?

Look at this graph of breast cancer incidence (source: Susan G. Komen for the Cure NYC):



Note that, after 1978, breast cancer incidence rose dramatically.

Coincidence?

I'm not so sure.

Remember that lead is used to shield against radiation. There is a lot of radiation out there - from nuclear tests (and attacks), nuclear power plant meltdowns, solar radiation, cosmic rays, and high tension power lines. As we stopped using lead paint on and in our homes, and gradually removed the lead paint that was there, we removed the shielding that protected women from the mutating effects of radiation.

Lead paint, of course, dries and flakes off, creating an inhalation problem for small children - not to mention the fact that they put everything in their mouths. So returning to lead paint is not a solution.

What we should do, however, is to line all of our buildings with lead within the walls. Women who are outside should wear lead-lined brassieres.

For the life and health of women, let's bring lead back.