Hudson Square

On this special evening, get an in-depth look at America’s longest running public health crisis: lead poisoning.

It has been 60 years since New York City banned lead paint, but last year alone nearly 4,000 children tested for elevated blood-lead levels here, exposing them to risks of brain damage, a loss of IQ and other cognitive effects.

Join WNYC editor Christopher Werth and United States of Anxiety host Kai Wright as they discuss their recent reporting, which has uncovered multiple gaps in the city’s lead poisoning prevention efforts. It has even led to an overhaul of school policy, after over 1,800 public school classrooms were found to have active lead-paint hazards.

Werth will then convene a panel of experts and public officials, including Vice Chair of the NYC Housing Authority, Kathryn Garcia, Dr. Morri E. Markowitz, Attorney Matthew Chachere and other special guests. They will explain why we still haven’t solved this problem, tell us what we can do next, and answer your questions about this public health crisis affecting our children. Werth will then be joined by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson for a one-on-one conversation about what, if any, new legislation we can expect from the City Council.