Food for thought

[Diamond Tackle]

Ryan,
I hear what you are saying & Not to say that you are overreacting, BUT
As a kid, and not knowing any better, I chewed on many LEAD split shots every time I went trout fishing, never had a problem(knock on wood). Oh,I almost forgot about the Lead pencils we chewed on in school, and you know what? the gasoline and the paint had lead in it too,but somehow we survived it all.

Common sense safety precautions go a long way. Use gloves whenever handling lead, do NOT melt the stuff on your kitchen stove,you need proper ventilation equipment, dont eat, smoke,drink,wipe your eyes,mouth, nose etc if there is lead residue on your fingers. I guess its just second nature with me now. You have to respect PB,just as you have to respect tools for example, like a sawblade that runs at 10,000RPM and can rip your finger,hand or arm clean off with just ONE mistake.
With lead its cumulative, if you were to do something foolish , your next blood test WILL show it.
go to DOITMOLDS website for some really good safety Tips & recommendations. and yes, leave the lead casting to the experts if you feel strongly enough about it.
you are correct, Bismuth is a good harmless metal alloy for weights, but I would not throw away my lead sinkers just yet esp if you are bottom fishing, it could get pricey real fast.

just MY .02



ps
Strictest state is Ca.
this is the required labeling of all products containing ANY lead
PROP 65 WARNING: This product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.