Vinyl Mini-blinds, Potential Health Hazard

Thirty million sets of non-glossy vinyl mini-blinds are imported into the USA every year. Many of these were coated with lead, as a stabilizing agent, during the last 10 years. About 9% of all lead poisoning in children is attributed to exposure to mini-blinds.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning in 1996, that non-glossy vinyl mini-blinds should be removed from any homes where small children are present. As the blinds deteriorate with age, the lead is released into the home as lead dust, and poisons young children who are most at risk of damage.

Lead is dangerous to small children because it affects brain growth and causes retardation. Not all children are screened for lead poisoning, especially in low-risk areas such as rural Kentucky, where we hardly ever find dangerous lead levels. With no lead pollution, and very little exposed lead-based paint, mini-blinds might be a major source of lead poisoning in this area.

A 1997 study from North Carolina measured extremely high lead concentrations in some samples of mini-blinds. Blinds made after 1996, that say "lead-free" on the label, were found to have no lead contamination.

Separate the pull-cords if they form a loop!

Older mini-blinds may have the pull-cords in a loop, not separated. The loop is dangerous, because several small children have died due to strangulation after getting the loop tangled around their necks. If you have a loop, you can cut it at the bottom, and tie a weight to each end. Your local hardware store has weights made for this purpose.