Poison Prevention

Each year in the U.S., more than 250,000 people are injured by swallowing or coming into contact with poisonous substances in the home.

Children age five and younger are most at risk for death or injury from poisoning. For children, the most common causes of poisoning are items found in the home. Those items include cleaning products, beauty products and medicine. Some plants can also poison children.

Poison prevention is not just for homes with small children, though. Adults need to be careful too. For adults, some of the most common causes of poisoning are pain relievers and other medicines.

The Home Safety Council reports that most families are not taking the right steps to reduce the risk of poisoning. You can follow these guidelines to guard against poisoning in your home:

• Be sure all dangerous household products have child-resistant caps. Put those caps on medicines, cleaning products, anti-freeze, and pesticides. Keep such items in a locked cabinet. Don’t leave any medicines in a drawer or purse.
• Check every medicine bottle for an expiration date. If any medicines have expired, flush them down the toilet. Do not put them in the trash, where tiny hands could find them.
• Mop up spilled anti-freeze or motor oil right away. They are very poisonous for children and pets.
• Keep household chemicals in their original containers. Read label directions carefully. They often give important safety and first aid information.
• Wear gloves when using cleaners or other household chemicals. Follow label instructions for use.
• Do not mix household chemicals or cleaners. They could explode or produce harmful fumes.
• Store food and non-food items separately.
• Cover all trash cans with tight-fitting lids.
• Keep gasoline in a container approved for gasoline storage. Store the container in a garage or shed. Use gasoline as a motor fuel only. Gasoline can burst into flames easily. Never bring any gasoline into the home.
• Post the number of the national poison control hotline next to every phone: (800) 222-1222.

News for You®, Vol. 52, No. 42. October 20, 2004. New Readers Press, division of ProLiteracy Worldwide. Adapted by permission.