What can be done to protect adults Are high levels a serious health and children against lead? problem in the Cree communities? LEAD SHOT &  Switch to a type of ammunition that  The tap water in all communities has does not contain lead, such as , been tested. Some samples of spring , copper, etc. (Federal law water and soil have also been tested, actually forbids the use of lead shot to and no lead has been found. hunt migratory birds.)  Blood lead levels in some communities  Do not let children play with used lead are higher than the rest of Quebec, but shot cartridges, lead pellets or lead this is not as big a health problem as fishing sinkers. diabetes and other chronic diseases.

 When you hunt, lead dust from charge  Blood levels just above the guidelines powder can get on your hands and be are not high enough to make people swallowed. To prevent this, wear feel sick. But it is still not good to be

gloves and remove them before eating over the guideline, especially for Photo: Wilfred Georgekish, Wemindji or smoking. If you didn’t wear gloves, children. wash your hands or at least wipe them before you eat or smoke.  If you are concerned about lead, you  in our bodies? may ask at the clinic to have a blood  in our food? test.  in our environment?

Questions and answers

 Quit smoking – smokers have higher April 2017 lead levels.

What is lead and where is it found? Can lead make you sick? How does lead get into the body?

 Lead is a metal found in certain kinds  Yes. Small amounts of lead can cause  Lead gets into people’s bodies when of rocks. Pure lead comes out after subtle health effects like irritability, they… these rocks are crushed and heated. sleep problems or raised blood  Eat food after their hands have pressure. touched the dust on a lead shot  Lead is used in: , a gun, or a lead fishing  Lead shot pellets & bullets for  Larger amounts can cause sinker hunting miscarriages or make people very sick.  Eat tiny fragments of lead shot or This is rare, except for people who  Charge powder inside shot bullets left in game cartridges work in factories or mines where they are in contact with lead.  Breathe in dust or smoke that  Fishing sinkers contains lead, like the smoke a gun  The batteries of vehicles  Babies and children under eight absorb makes when you fire it.  Paint for canoes and other boats lead into their bodies more easily than adults. They are sensitive to even small amounts of lead. Young children with Should we still eat game that was too much lead may be slower to learn killed with lead ammunition? both at home and at school.  Yes! Game meats are very healthy for adults and children. Hunting is also great exercise.  Lead is no longer used in gasoline or in But take these precautions: cans. The government has passed  When you butcher big game, discard laws against lead, because it can make the meat within four inches of the people sick. wound channel.

 The “lead” in pencils is not real lead.  For game killed with lead shot, give It’s graphite. babies, children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, parts that are far away from the pellets.