We have known for centuries that lead is a toxic substance. Approximately 95% of the lead that we find in the environment is there because we put it there. The negative impacts of lead on human health are well established, and are particularly severe for children and pregnant women. That knowledge resulted in leaded petrol being phased out, along with a host of other legislation restricting the use of lead. Lead is also an environmental hazard, and there are no safe levels of lead for any biological organism to consume. Given everything we know about the toxicity of lead, it is surprising that the substance is still used at all. What is even more surprising is that most bullets and fishing sinkers still contain lead, both of which are used for outdoors activities and therefore inevitably land up in the environment. Bullets are a particular threat to human health in Namibia, because many people eat game meat from hunts with lead bullets. Despite positive moves towards unleaded petrol, paint and other products that have reduced human exposure to lead, we are still in danger of consuming lead when we eat lead-shot game meat. When a lead bullet hits its target, it fragments into tiny pieces. The tiniest fragments of lead that are invisible to the naked eye are actually more dangerous than larger chunks, because they are more readily absorbed in the blood stream. Some pieces are so small that you can only see them if you X-Ray the carcass, which is not exactly a common practice amongst butchers!