General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Yes, lead poisoning could really be a cause of violent crime [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)And a lot of potential criminals may well have died in the European and Pacific theaters.
Family life also became more important during that time frame that followed the war--guys who might have gone into crime were going to school on the GI Bill and reintegrating themselves into society. And having kids, lotsa kids.
There was a huge gangster culture in the roaring twenties as a consequence of prohibition; I am quite sure most of those gangsters didn't decide, upon repeal, to just give up their life of crime and go shovel coal or something--it probably took eight to ten years (when they were met with the draft) for their wicked ways of stealing, looting, and doing what they could (since they had no marketable skills) to poop out.
Also, that chipping paint got painted over in 1910 and 1920--and after a few coats, those chips get big and the dust becomes more onerous.
In a lot of poorer rural homes, I don't know if paint was used as often. White wash or nothing, I should think, and perhaps old newspaper as wallpaper.
But who knows? I'm speculating, but I do think there is a relationship between lead ingestion and major problems for both children and adults.