National Poison Prevention Week is March 18-24. To keep your children safe from poisonous substances lurking around your home, check out the tips below recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Keep the poison control number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every home telephone and save it on your cell phone. The line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Store all medicines and household products away and out of sight in a childproof cabinet where a child cannot reach them.
- When you are taking or giving medicines:
- If you have to do something else while taking medicine, such as answer the phone, take any young children with you.
- Secure the child safety cap completely every time you use a medicine.
- Be aware of any legal or illegal drugs that guests may bring into your home. Ask guests to store drugs where children cannot find them. Children can easily get into pillboxes, purses, backpacks, or coat pockets.
- Do not call medicine “candy.”
- Identify poisonous plants in your house and yard and place them out of reach of children or remove them.
- Other common poisons for children include:
- Cosmetics such as perfume or nail polish, and personal care products such as deodorant and soap.
- Cleaning products (for example, laundry detergent and floor cleaners).
- Foreign bodies and toys including silica gel packages to remove moisture in packaging and glow products.
- Topical preparations such as diaper rash products, hydrogen peroxide, acne preparations, or calamine lotion.
If A Poisoning Occurs:
- Remain calm.
- Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and the victim has collapsed or is not breathing. If the victim is awake and alert, dial 1-800-222-1222. Try to have this information ready:
- Victim’s age and weight
- Container or bottle of the poison if available
- Time of the poison exposure
- Address where the poisoning occurred
- Stay on the phone and follow the instructions from the emergency operator or poison control center.
For more information, please visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/preventiontips.htm
Or, the American Association of Poison Control Centers:
https://www.aapcc.org/dnn/PoisoningPrevention/FAQ/tabid/117/Default.aspx .
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