My Granny lived all her life in a tennement building that had all lead pipes, she lived to 96, worked until she was 82 & never had a day of illness in her life. In fact to my knowledge; there was never anyone in her street died of lead poisoning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning
" Lead exposure in children is also correlated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and antisocial behavior. Elevated lead levels in children are correlated with
higher scores on aggression and delinquency measures. A correlation has also been found between prenatal and early childhood lead exposure and
violent crime in adulthood. Countries with the
highest air lead levels have also been found to have the
highest murder rates, after adjusting for confounding factors.] A May 2000 study by economic consultant Rick Nevin theorizes that lead exposure explains
65% to 90% of the variation in violent crime rates in the US. A 2007 paper by the same author claims to show
a strong association between preschool blood lead and subsequent crime rate trends over several decades across nine countries. It is believed that the U.S. ban on lead paint in buildings in the late 1970s, as well as the phaseout of leaded gasoline in the 1970s and 1980s, partially
helped contribute to the decline of violent crime in the United States since the early 1990s.
So remind us Dick, whereabouts in
Glasgow did your Granny live?
Most lead poisoning in that area is now of the high velocity variety.