What precautions should consumers follow to avoid exposure to lead?

The hazardous substance lead was banned from house paint in 1978. U.S. food canners quit using lead solder in 1991. And a 25-year phaseout of lead in gasoline reached its goal in 1995.

Critical to prevention is focusing on the important lead sources. Dealing with sources of lead means recognizing them in your family's environment, knowing which ones contribute significant exposures, and eliminating or avoiding those exposures.

The greatest source of lead poisoning in young children is deteriorating lead paint in older housing. But lead poisoning is preventable. If your house was built before 1978, follow this advice from the National Lead Information Center.

• Wash floors, windowsills, and other surfaces weekly with warm water and detergent.
• Wipe soil off shoes before entering the house. Cover soil with grass, mulch or other barrier.
• Immediately clean up paint chips.
• Ask your doctor or health department whether your children should be tested for lead, even if they seem healthy.

Call 1-800-LEAD-FYI for a list of experts certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to inspect the house and soil for lead and remove lead paint. Move out of the house until the renovation and clean-up is completed. Never remove lead paint yourself.

If you suspect your water pipes are leaching lead, use cold water for drinking and cooking, running it 30 seconds before use. Ask your state health agency about testing your drinking water for lead.

Remove lead foil capsules from wine bottles before pouring. Before removing the cork, wipe the bottle neck and rim and the cork top with a clean cloth.

Never use ceramicware that gets chalky after washing. Avoid storing acidic foods like juice and vinegar in ceramic holloware. If pregnant, avoid daily use of ceramic mugs for hot beverages like coffee and tea. Stick to commercially made items. If you buy a craft piece, ask if it's lead-free. If you're unsure whether a food serving item is made from lead-based materials, you can check with the manufacturer. Test antiques with a kit from a hardware store. And never use items marked "decorative" for food

If your occupation exposes you to air-borne lead, change clothes and wash before coming home.

In homes with young children, make sure cartons of imported vinyl mini-blinds have terms like "non-leaded formula" or "no lead added." Discard blinds you’re unsure of. Blinds with lead may form lead dust as they deteriorate.

Children and pregnant women should avoid frequent use of crystal glassware.

Never feed babies from crystal baby bottles.

Keep all hair dyes, especially those with lead acetate, away from children.

Never expose children to the Middle East eye cosmetic dyes kajal, kohl or surma or to the foreign remedies Alarcon, Azarcon, Coral, Creta, Liga, Maria Luisa, or Rueda.