Post #8383 by Tiki King on Mon, Sep 16, 2002 9:51 AM

On 2002-09-14 08:57, tikimug wrote:
my school of thought on matters of safety is, the stronger the alcohol content the more germs and nasties are being killed.

Actually this is not the case with lead. Lead is a toxic heavy metal linked with all sorts of nasty ailments, birth defects, etc. unfortunately it is also cumulative, meaning that the effects of exposure may not show up until years later. It was used and is present in many older ceramic pieces, including, presumably, Tiki mugs. This is especially bad for Tiki mugs because the citric acid in pineapple juice, lime juice, soda, etc. leaches the lead out faster. However, all modern "food grade" glazes (in the U.S. at least) are lead free. they can not be labeled for food use without being lead free, and no reputable mug maker would use a lead glaze on food or drink ware these days.(if you are concerned, and you should be, ask the maker) Sadly, I would leave the old stuff on the shelf, and get some modern mugs for everyday use. Hope this was more informative than scary!
Cheers!
Tiki King

[ Edited by: Tiki King on 2002-09-16 09:53 ]