I read recently of an interesting explanation for crime in the US. An article in Mother Jones by a Kevin Drum suggests that the decrease in crime that has occurred of late has something to do with less lead in the air. "Research has provided strong evidence that lead exposure damages the brain, lowering IQ and impulse control and leading to violent behavior". He notes that crime increased in this country after the 1950's because of "fumes from leaded gasoline" with "millions of children in car-choked urban centers breathing in fumes". This resulted in the increase in crime in the 1960's and 1970's but when non-leaded gasoline was phased in the 1980's that increase in crime began to decrease. "Cutting lead pollution ...is the most effective crime prevention tool we have". The same source indicated there are those who disagree with this theory.
(Source: "Lead: The connection with crime" in The Week for 1/25/13)
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