Poison Prevention
National Poison Prevention Week is March 20-26 – are you informed on how to protect yourself and your family from hazardous substances? According to the Poison Prevention Week Council, more than 2 million instances of poisoning are reported each year in the United States – and more than 90 percent of these poisonings occur in the home. Prevent poisonings by following these tips:
Lock or secure all medications and chemicals. This is the easiest way to keep children away from hazardous substances in your home.
Never leave loose pills out. Even if you’re leaving the room for a few seconds, this can be enough time for children or pets to ingest the pills.
Be mindful when children or pets visit your home. You may not have children or pets of your own, but it’s important to put away any medications or chemicals when you have visitors.
Never use cups or soft drink bottles for household chemicals or cleaners. Both children and adults could mistake these for actual drinks.
Never refer to medicine as “candy” when administering it to a child. The child may remember this and be tempted to take medicine on his or her own.
Pay attention to tamper-proof and child-resistant packaging. If a product looks like it’s been tampered with, do not risk using it.
Always read the labels and instructions of potentially hazardous products and medications. This is the best way to avoid adverse effects or recognize an adverse effect should the product or medication be ingested.
Never create your own cleaning solutions. A poison control center will not be able to give you proper instructions should anyone ingest the cleaning solution.
Keep children out of the way when using pesticides. Make sure toys are removed from the area before applying, and never leave pesticides unattended while in use.
If you think someone has been poisoned from ingesting medication or a household chemical, call 1-800-222-1222 to be connected to your local Poison Control Center any time, 365 days a year. Post this number by your home telephone or save it in your cell phone in case of an emergency.