Poison Prevention

Poison Prevention

An estimated 2 million cases of poisoning are reported every year. The majority of these cases involve children, six years old and younger. And where do 90 percent of these poisonings occur? You guessed it: the home.

Poison Prevention Week is March 14 – 20. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your home is safe and your children don’t become a statistic.

1. Conduct a home search to spot potential poisons. Then store them in a safe place. The two most common causes of poisoning in a typical household are medications and cleaning substances. Other potential poisons include gasoline, kerosene and lamp oil, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid and pesticides.

2. Don’t rely on so-called child-proof containers. Kids can be quite clever in opening up bottles, and no container is absolutely child- proof. Make sure that all potential poisons are kept out of the reach of children Store them in hard- to-access cabinets equipped with child- proof safety locks.

3. Find the number of your local Poison Control Center. Then post it in an easy- to-see location near your phone. If you don’t have a local Poison Control Center, then call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800 222-1222. If you do call, it’s important to know, if possible, the weight of the child, what they consumed and how much. This will help the Poison Control Center give you the best possible recommended treatment.

4. Finally, keep a sharp eye out when children visit relatives or friends’ homes, where usual precautions may not have been taken.

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