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Prevention of Lead Poisoning in ChildrenTo strengthen regulatory measures against lead poisoning in France, the intervention threshold for children has been regularly lowered since 1970 in line with evolving knowledge about the toxic effects of lead. Starting in the 1990s, the implementation of lead poisoning screening through blood lead level testing in at-risk children, combined with measures such as the renovation of older housing and the phase-out of leaded gasoline, led to a significant decrease in the number of lead poisoning cases among at-risk children and the general population. The number of children aged 1 to 6 with blood lead levels of 100 μg/L or higher (which previously defined a case of lead poisoning) has thus been reduced by a factor of 20 over the past twenty years. Nevertheless, sources of lead poisoning still exist in the environment, and 200 to 300 new cases of lead poisoning, with blood lead levels of 100 μg/L or higher, have been reported each year since 2007 among people under the age of 18.In accordance with the recommendations of the High Council for Public Health dated July 10, 2014, health authorities decided, by decree dated June 8, 2015, to lower the blood lead level (plumbemia) defining lead poisoning in children from 100 to 50 μg/L. The new threshold of 50 μg/L has been in effect since June 17, 2015. The mandatory reporting of a lead poisoning case by a physician to the Regional Health Agency (ARS) then triggers an investigation into sources of exposure and the initiation of emergency procedures aimed at eliminating the affected child’s exposure to lead.Lowering the threshold is expected to allow nearly three times as many children to benefit from this rapid intervention system. While lead-based paint in older housing (flaking paint and dust) remains the primary source of poisoning in reported cases, children may also be exposed through water, food, and soil or dust particles. The Directorate General for Health (DGS), the Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), and the National Institute for Prevention and Health Education (Inpes) remind the public that preventive measures can help avoid lead poisoning, particularly among young children.