Updated: August 30, 2022
Tamara Rubin is an internationally-recognized, multiple-Federal-award winning Lead-poisoning prevention advocate; documentary filmmaker; and mother of four sons (ages 26, 20, 17 and 14). She took on the cause of childhood Lead-poisoning (and consumer goods safety advocacy) after her own sons were acutely Lead-poisoned by the work of a painting contractor in 2005. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family.
Website
Tamara has created a strong web and media presence for the cause of childhood Lead-poisoning prevention [with over 1,300,000 unique visitors (from over 200 locations/countries!) to this website so far this year (2022) alone – per Google Analytics, see graphic above] — in an effort to bring this message to the world: Lead-poisoning was not “solved” with the 1978 “ban” on Lead in residential paint; more than 1 in 3 children in America (and worldwide) today has had an unsafe level of Lead in their blood in their lifetime. There are currently more than 3,500 articles and pages with information about childhood Lead poisoning and consumer goods toxicant test results here on this website. You can follow Tamara’s work “@LeadSafeMama” on all of the various social media channels.
Goal
Childhood Lead poisoning is both the single-most costly and the single-most preventable environmental illness in the world today. Tamara is committed to educating every parent about this wholly-preventable environmental illness that causes permanent brain damage in young children and yet – still today – (conservatively) costs the United States more than $50.9 Billion annually! Through her public advocacy work and private consulting, Tamara has personally helped tens of thousands of families create safer homes and environments for their children, and continues to personally help families every day.
Awards
Tamara has won several awards for her advocacy work, including two from the Federal government – when her work was honored by a consortium of Federal agencies (EPA, CDC, USDA, HUD, and USDoE) at the National Healthy Homes Conferences in both 2011, and 2014.
Notable Media Coverage
Starting with a USA Today article in 2007 and Today Show interview in 2008, Tamara’s work has been covered by CBS; NBC; FOX; CNN; and ABC – in both national and local television news stories. Since her first public speaking engagement in 2007, Tamara has been interviewed for (or quoted in) articles (and video segments) in The New York Times; The Dallas Morning News; The Voice of Russia; The Huffington Post; Mother Jones; Truthout; The New York Post; USA Today; Vice; Al Jazeera English; Better Homes and Gardens Australia; Cracked; Parents Magazine; and many others. In 2017, “CBS This Morning” covered her findings of unsafe levels of Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys. For more press coverage (with specific links), click here.
2022 Highlights:
- In April of 2022 Tamara was an invited guest speaker at Stanford University.
- Also In April of 2022 Tamara’s work was featured in a piece in Cracked Magazine (in response to a viral video on TikTok!)
- In June of 2022 Tamara’s work was responsible for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall of a Lead painted toy.
- In July of 2022 Tamara’s work was responsible for the CPSC recall of a Lead painted baby bottle.
- In August of 2022 Tamara’s work was covered in NPR news piece about Lead exposure caused by consumer goods.
