The lead industry and public health.

In 2003, the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) formed a panel to develop consensus guidelines for the treatment of lead-exposed adults. However, a consensus was never reached due to interference from lead industry representatives. Lead industry interference in the AOEC panel is one instance of a long history of industry opposition to occupational and public health measures to prevent lead poisoning because of potential costs to the industry. At the time the AOEC panel was formed, no published guidelines existed for the medical management of lead exposure in adults comparable to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for managing lead exposure in children. Representatives of the lead industry frustrated the AOEC panel by insisting that "feasibility" (economic issues) be part of the medical decision-making process.