02 Apr Poison Prevention
Poisonings are preventable and treatable 
Top 5 Causes of Poisoning
- Cosmetics or personal products
- Household cleaning products
- Painkillers
- Sedatives, hypnotics and anti-psychotic medicine
- Foreign bodies, toys and other objects
Facts
- The goal of the week is to raise awareness of the risk of being poisoned by household items including medicines, pesticides, plants, bites and stings, food poisoning, and fumes.
- Every 13 seconds, a poison control center receives a phone call reporting exposure to toxic chemicals or substances.
- More than two million potential poison exposures are reported every year to American poison control centers. More than 90% of these poisoning occur in the home, and a majority of these occur with children 5 years of age and younger. 50% of young people are the most likely to be poisoned, with children under age 6 accounting for half of all poison exposures. They only account for a small percent of the deaths due to poisoning.
- Poisoning of adults is on the rise in our nation and only stands behind motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths. 92% of poisoning deaths occur among people over the age of 20.
- Drug-related poisonings cause nearly 700,000 visits to hospital emergency rooms each year. Poisonings cause more than 35,000 deaths each year. Over 1000 Americans die from poisoning every year.
Prevention Tips
- If you think someone has been poisoned, call 1-800-222-1222 right away. Serious poisonings don’t always have early signs.
- Put the number for your poison control center (1-800-222-1222) in your cell phone and near home phones.
- Keep medicines and household products in their original containers in a different place than food.
- Always read product labels and follow any directions.
- Keep household products and medicines locked up. Put them where kids can’t see them or reach them.
- Buy products with child-resistant packaging. But remember, nothing is child-proof.
- Never call medicine “candy.” Poisons may look like food or drink. Teach children to ask an adult before tasting anything.
- Learn about products and drugs that young people use to get “high.” Talk to your teen or pre-teen about these dangers.
- Have a working carbon monoxide alarm in your home.
Call 1-800-222-1222 to reach your local poison control center, anywhere in the United States. The call is free, private, 24/7/365, and expert help is available in more than 150 languages.