An editorial on the long campaign against lead ammunition. This has now culminated in a restriction proposal from REACH which would ban lead shot and large calibre bullets for hunting. A decision should be made by March 2025.
For a textbook example of preventable harm being perpetuated by political inaction, look no further than the ongoing saga of transitioning away from the use of lead in ammunition. We have known the dangers of this toxic heavy metal for over 2,000 years: the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides famously warned that ‘lead makes the mind give way’, while the Roman Empire’s widespread use of lead in tableware and plumbing would have affected every bodily system, notably impacting IQ and cardiovascular and kidney health.