Lead poisoning in the United States, Chisolm adds, occurs almost exclusively among preschoolage children who live in poorly maintained housing(l). Most of this housing was built before World War II, when leadbased paints were customarily used. During 1971 and early 1972 smallscale, neighborhood, lead-screening surveys were initiated in 27 cities by the Bureau of Community Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Charleston, South Carolina, which had the greatest prevalence of elevated blood-lead determinations, was awarded a federal grant for a childhood lead detection program in May 1972. The program's primary objective was to screen children aged one to six years who lived in the oldest and poorest housing in the core of the city. To date 2,627 children have been screened for lead poisoning; 15 have been treated on