Prevention Matters

Medicare’s decision to help ramp up “medical home” demonstration programs was named Partnership for Prevention’s “Best Prevention Idea of the Week,” while reports of toxic Halloween face paint was named “Worst Prevention Idea of the Week.”

The Best/Worst Idea awards are a regular feature of Prevention Matters , the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Each week, Partnership for Prevention's staff will choose the designees based on nominations of items in the previous week's news submitted by members, staff and the public at large. To submit a nomination or for more information, contact Damon Thompson at dthompson@prevent.org.

Medicare backs state medical home projects

WORST

Halloween face paint could contain a nasty trick for children. A test of 10 face paint products widely available via the Internet or in craft or Halloween stores showed that all 10 face paint products tested contained lead, and six out of 10 had known skin allergens, including nickel, cobalt or chromium, at levels above recommendations of industry studies. The findings were outlined in a report issued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics entitled: Pretty Scary: Could Halloween Face Paint Cause Lifelong Health Problems? Earlier this year, a face paint from China was recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when some children had rashes and itching; the FDA later found microbial contamination in the product.