March 18th thru the 24th is National Poison Prevention Week. Every year over four million calls are made to poison control centers in the United States. Most of us are aware of the dangers of poisoning but did you know that poisoning is one of the major causes of death in the U.S.?
Now that warmer weather is here and we are doing more cleaning and yard work it is more important than ever to be vigilant about the use of chemicals and pesticides. We all know how quick children are, it only takes a moment of turning your back for them to drink or eat something poisonous. Chemical burns are a very real problem as well. Children’s skin is much more sensitive to chemical exposure and burns can happen in an instant.
The top five chemical/poison exposures for children are cosmetics and personal care items, pain medications, foreign objects, cleaning products and creams. Child proof packaging has gone a long way in helping to prevent many poisonings, but it does no good if you forget to put the lid on. Many children are able to open child resistant packaging easier than their parents can so out of reach is even better than relying on packaging.
There are some things you can do to keep your family safe.
*Store all chemicals out of reach and never leave them unattended, even for a minute.
*Do not transfer chemicals from one container to another, children may be more likely to think something is a drink if it is in more familiar packaging.
*Remove children and pets before using pesticides, even a small exposure may make them ill.
*Read the label and follow all directions.
*Use the safest product available.
No one can prevent every accident so make sure the number for poison control is clearly posted by your phones and programed into your cell phone. The national number is 1-800-222-1222.