The number of violent crimes committed by teenagers and young adults plummeted about 15 years after the sharp decline in blood lead levels in preschool children.

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There is strong evidence to suggest that the sharp decline in blood lead levels in preschool children led to a parallel decline in violent crime rates among teenagers and young adults. Studies have shown a significant correlation between lead exposure in childhood and increased criminal behavior later in life. When lead was removed from gasoline and paint in the 1970s and 1980s, blood lead levels in children dropped dramatically, and within about 15 years, crime rates among young people began to decline as well.

The Number of Violent Crimes Committed by Teenagers and Young