Santa Ana, Calif.
California health officials have repeatedly found dangerous lead levels in more than 100 brands of candy but done little about it, the Orange County, Calif., Register reported this week. “Children are eating poison,” said Leticia Ayala of the Environmental Health Coalition. Most of the sweets were imported from Mexico and marketed to Hispanic children. Up to 15 percent of California children suffering from lead poisoning, which can cause brain damage, have eaten Mexican candy. State tests first detected problems in 1993, but no public warnings were issued until this year. State officials said they lacked the resources to do more.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 JuneHave you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
