In the last couple of weeks, rumors started floating around social media that Stanley Cups contain lead. People weren’t sure if these assumptions were true, but, when the news came out saying this fact wasn’t false, everyone started worrying. In the report of NBC 5-Fort Worth, they confirmed that the Stanley cup does contain lead at the bottom of the cup. Lead is a chemical element that can cause harm to those who ingest it. Lead can be found in all kinds of places, such as in the air, water and homes. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, lead exposure can cause high blood pressure and brain, kidney and reproductive health issues in adults.
In an article published in the New York Times, Stanley confirmed that the lead is sealed off from the portion of the bottle that touches the drink and does not create a risk to consumers. Jack Caravanos, a professor of public health at New York University, told the New York Times, “I did not find lead…in any part of the [drinkable portion].” However, the presence of lead deep within the cup has still caused concerns among students.
Freshman Lily Bradley seemed worried, saying, “It scares me because I use Stanleys. It’s all I drink out of, so hopefully I don’t get it [lead poisoning].” she says. Bradley confidently stated that she “will keep using it.” Junior Kylie Drewry seemed to not mind the situation too much. She said, “In my mom’s…generation, the kids used to try to eat paint off the walls, and there was lead in that, and they’re still perfectly fine, so, honestly, I think it’s fine.” Drewry continued, “I like my Stanley because it’s convenient. I can hold it, I drink out of it all the time and…I paid a good penny for that so I’m going to keep using it.”
Senior Julie Gomez explained she didn’t know anything about the hazards of lead poisoning. Gomez said, “I don’t know anything about lead and its hazards, but I saw videos about how lead was discovered in Stanleys.” Many other students also said that they found out about this information because of Tik Tok. Junior Katie Coonce said, “I honestly feel less inclined to use the water bottle because of the bad health issues it could potentially cause to my body.” She followed along by saying, “I’ll probably transfer to a different water bottle now that I found out about it.”
Jacob Preli, a chemistry teacher at Fauquier shared some information on the hazards of lead. Preli explained, “Lead, you can get it with really any heavy metal. It’s called heavy metal poisoning.” Preli continued describing its effects, saying, “It’s really bad. Lead can not only lead you to death, but it can give you severe brain damage and severe liver damage. It all depends on how much lead there is.” Preli also stated, “What a lot of people don’t know is that it’s not just the presence of something [that is important], it’s how much. Just the fact that the cup has lead isn’t really a big deal, it’s how much lead there’s in it.”
And, although it has been confirmed that there is lead in Stanley Cups at the bottom of the tumbler, where it appears to cover the pellet and lid, the company has yet to confirm how much is present.
