MARCH 16-22—NATIONAL POISON PREVENTION WEEK

Children Act Fast…So Do Poisons

How to Prevent Poisonings

It only takes a few moments for a small child to grab and swallow something poisonous.  Many poisonings happen when a parent is distracted by the telephone, doorbell, or something else.  This is why adults must make sure that all household chemicals and medicines are stored out of the reach of children at all times.

Here are steps you can take to prevent poisonings in your home:

1. Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container securely after use.
2. Keep all chemicals and medicines locked up and out of sight.
3. When products are in use, never let young children out of your sight, even if you must take the child or product along when answering the phone or doorbell.
4. Keep items in original containers.
5. Never use cups, glasses, or soft-drink bottles to hold paint thinner, turpentine, gasoline, or other household chemicals.
6. Leave original labels on all products, and read the label before using.
7. Do not put decorative lamps and candles that contain lamp oil where children can reach them because lamp oil is toxic.
8. Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine.  Check the dosage every time.
9. Avoid taking medicine in front of children.  Refer to medicine as “medicine,” not “candy.”
10. Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically, and safely dispose of unneeded medicine when the illness for which they were prescribe is over.  Pour the contents down the drain or toilet, and rinse the container before discarding.

If you have a poisoning emergency, call the National Poison Emergency Hotline at 1-800-222-1222 for your Poison Control Center.  The hotline works from anywhere in the U.S., 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.  If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call your local emergency number (911 in most areas).

Remember, keep the emergency numbers by your telephone.

Source: Poison Prevention Week Council, www.poisonprevention.org.

Mail to the postal address on the home page or email opthealth@prairieontheweb.com with questions or comments about this web site.

Last modified: March 01, 2005