The number of children with lead poisoning is at a record low in New York City, health department officials say.
The agency says that children under the age of six identified with lead poisoning declined 66 percent from 2005 to 2012.
The decline was 22 percent between 2011 and 2012. There were 1,183 cases in 2011 compared to 923 in 2012.
The health department attributed the decline to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, a city law passed in 2005.
Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says the numbers show the agency's efforts are working. But he says it's critical that building owners follow the law and safely remove peeling lead paint in homes with young children.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
