[Lead poisoning due to drug addiction: a new source of poisoning with clinical interest and important epidemiological consequences].

Lead poisoning has accompanied the human being throughout history. Owing to the increasing levels of safety at work, the incidence of occupational poisoning has decreased and new forms of non-occupational poisoning have emerged. We present 3 cases of drug addicts, with lead poisoning, as a result of using adulterated drugs. One of them was an intravenous drug addict who had abdominal pain and anemia. The other 2 inhaled heroin, one being slightly anemic and the other without symptoms and with normal hemoglobin levels. The drug adulterated with lead had not been previously recognized as a source of lead poisoning, being likely to cause serious epidemiological effects.