John Oliver and 'Sesame Street' teach us that lead poisoning is still a huge problem

The disastrous events in Flint, Michigan have brought different social and economic issues to light, one of which is the regulation of lead in water systems and housing developments.

On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver shows that, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, lead and lead-based paint is present in 2,144,000 homes where children under the age of six live. The problem is (and has been) so prevalent that Sesame Street produced a PSA segment about it in 1996.

Since there has been little to no effort to resolve the issue of lead paint, Oliver brought back the lovable Sesame Street muppets to draw attention to its hazards — because even the tiniest amount can cause irreversible damage.