Children Act Fast…So Do Poisons!
Poison Prevention Has Saved More Than 900 Lives Since the 1970s

Every day thousands of new parents assume the responsibility of caring for and protecting a child. Many of these first-time caregivers are unaware of the dangers of unintentional poisonings often related to medicines and household products commonly found in the home, such as personal care products, over-the-counter pain relievers and cleaning substances. From 2002 through 2004, about 36 children younger than 5 died each year as a result of ingesting poisonous substances found in and around the home. In 2005 about 91,000 young children visited hospital emergency rooms and more than one million calls were placed to poison control centers as a result of unintentional poisoning.

This week is National Poison Prevention Week and CPSC is working to educate and inform consumers of the dangers associated with unintentional poisonings.

To download the latest NSN poster on poison prevention, visit www.cpsc.gov/nsn/poisprev.pdf.

To prevent potential household poisonings, CPSC recommends the following safety steps:

1. Keep all household chemicals and medicines locked up, out of sight and out of reach.
2. Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container securely after each use. Some products also come in child-resistant blister cards, which avoid the need to re-secure.
3. Call 800-222-1222 immediately in case of poisoning.
4. When products are in use, never let young children out of your sight, even if you must take them along when answering the phone or doorbell.
5. Keep items in original containers.
6. Leave the original labels on all products, and read the label before using to understand correct use and dosage.
7. Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and safely dispose of unneeded and outdated medicines.
   

Source: Neighborhood Safety Network