A recent Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) release revealed a new and surprising potential source of lead poisoning for children - pool cue chalk. Two children, in two different states, were found by routine screening to have elevated blood lead levels and after careful inspection of their homes the source was found to be pool (billiards) cue chalk! The colored chalk was found to contain between 5000 and 7000 parts per million lead, similar to the level in paint considered dangerous. The authors went on to evaluate 20 different brands of pool cue chalk and found three brands to have elevated levels - Master Green, Pioneer Green and Pioneer tangerine. The two children had both been seen around the pool table with the pool chalk in their mouths; again illustrating that young children will put anything in their mouths. The CPSC further cautions, however, that the cue chalk dust can be deposited on surfaces within the house and be a toxic source by that mechanism as well, similar to deteriorating lead paint. Two verified cases may seem small, but keep in mind that 46 million people play pool each year and 90% of tables sold are for the homes.