Are your ceramics safe?

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In this world of instant everything we often tend to not think about things that can make us sick right at home. I ran a ceramic business for 25 years. I learned how to fire in a kiln and make sure everything I did ensured safety if anything was being used for cooking or eating off of or drinking out of. I heard a story once while I was working in this craft of a relative making a juice pitcher and juice glasses for their family for a Christmas gift. While you are making a craft, and if you do not fire them you never know what degree the shop is firing things at. So she made her gift and wrapped it up and gave as a Christmas gift. the family drank orange juice every morning and so this prized gift was set out on the cabinet and used daily. As they used this every day all the family started noticing they were not feeling well but never thought about this set that was made for them. Finally they went to see a doctor and upon getting tested they were coming up with lead poisoning. The Glaze on the juice set was brought in and found it was not fired high enough to keep the lead of the greenware from seeping through. Also if you glaze and do not make sure it is sealed properly before firing or make sure there are not globs in one section of crevices your glaze can pop off and leave an unglazed area open to lead poisoning. There was only one member of their family that had not gotten ill from this set and that was their 6 month old baby that was not allowed to have orange juice at that young age. Another thing to watch is any cannister sets in stores or made as gifts. If you can run your fingers around any inside area and not feel completely glazed do not purchase it. Another thing that was brought to my attention as a friend and I were talking and when we buy ceramic mugs for coffee and tea and hot chocolate, these cups even ones you buy on a vacation and simply love the mug, after months of use, if you see marks in your cup from your spoon shown from stirring, you can figure your glaze is being worn down on the cups. replace them. I cant tell you when to replace them as a set time in weeks or months, but when you start noticing the insides of your cups not being the same color as when you bought them from wear, and stirring, throw them out and get new ones. If this discussion helps one person from getting sick from a favorite mug and it being worn down, I will have done my knowledge of ceramics a justice. This also goes for plastic ware. Anything used daily with hot drinks or soups will start breaking down the interior walls. Please check your glasses and cups periodically.