Mental retardation
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men plays critical role in Texas death penalty
Since 2002, U.S. states have been prohibited from executing people who are mentally retarded. Defining who fits that standard, though, has been left to the state. In Texas, the definition is based on a character in a book — though that may be changing.
Pakistani Iodine
Iodine deficiencies haven’t been a problem for Americans in decades. But in Pakistan, this age-old curse is returning with a vengeance, causing problems including mental retardation. Deforestation and flooding wash the iodine out of the soil and don’t allow it to work up through the food chain. Government warnings aren’t reaching the right people, and […]
Lead Series; The Silent Epidemic: Workplace Contact
Even though lead is now illegal in house paint and gasoline, thousands of people in the U.S. come in close contact with dangerous lead fumes and dust on the job, sometimes without even knowing it. State and Federal rules are supposed to protect workers from toxic materials, but some employers continue to provide their workers […]
Lead Series; The Silent Epidemic: – Part Two (of 3)
The way people get acute lead poisoning is through exposure to old paint right at home. The stereotype is of a poor child eating a paint chip in a dilapidated housing project. But, plenty of cases of poisoning come from lead dust, particles too small to notice. And while children living in low-income homes run […]
Lead Series; The Silent Epidemic: – Part One
Even tiny amounts of lead can have devastating effects on the brains of young children, and there is evidence that millions of American children have been poisoned. While there are no obvious physical symptoms of low-level lead poisoning, research shows these youngsters have much higher rates of learning disabilities, are far more likely to drop […]