Flint Water Crisis Places High Toll on Health and Productivity

"Even relatively low levels of exposure may rob children of IQ points and predispose them to violent behavior later in life," Peter Muennig, an associate professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, thinks.

HealthDay News has reported that the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, has cost nearly over $395 million in lost productivity, increased welfare use and criminal justice spending, according to a new study. The alarming estimate does not include the $58 million spent on medical care and supplying clean water.

These social costs stem from dangerous levels of lead in the drinking water after the city changed its water source. About 8,000 children are believed to have been exposed to lead poisoning in Flint since April 2014, when the financially struggling city, under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, switched its water source from Detroit’s municipal system to the Flint River to save money.

The Flint River water caused corrosion and much lead leached from Flint’s aging pipes. Lead can be toxic and children are especially vulnerable. Nevertheless, the city its water source switched back last October and has incurred heavy debts.

Indeed, we as a people are never to be ignorant of the human costs of lead poisoning because relatively low levels of exposure may rob children of IQ points and predispose them to violent behavior later in life.

According to a study dated last year, the United States lost over $4.5 billion as lost economic productivity, welfare use and criminal justice system due to low-level lead exposures.

It is our position that if the government wanted to have resolved the water crisis, it would have been long dealt with. But as a city, which is predominantly occupied by Blacks, the governments have neglected the provision of safe drinking water.

Rather huge sums of money are spent on useless agenda. Popular of the useless waste of money by the government is the use of $25 billion a year maintaining federal buildings that are either unused or totally vacant. This is a clear proof how government intentionally sideline Blacks even in developmental issues. Soon we will have the full right to rename Flint crisis into Flint genocide.

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