Accidental Poisoning:
Protecting Your Little Ones
Poison Action Line
EMERGENCY NUMBER: (800) 222-1222
Each year, at least 30 children die due to accidental poisonings
from household chemicals and medicines. Additionally, adults seeking
help when children have ingested a harmful substance place approximately
one million phone calls to Poison Control Centers each year.
Poisons come in all shapes and sizes. Invest some time in the safety
of your children. Follow these helpful tips to safeguard little
ones from poisonous substances:
Top 10 Ways to Keep Children Safe From Poisons:
- Place the California Poison Control System hotline number on
or near all phones.
- Ask for child resistant containers.
- Do not store food products and household cleaners in the same
cabinet.
- Always keep products in their original containers with their
original labels.
- Keep harmful medicines and household products out of reach and
in locked cabinets.
- Never call medicine "candy."
- Do not take medicine in front of children; they love to imitate
adults.
- Many poisonings occur when a product is in use. If the doorbell
or the phone rings, or there are other distractions, keep the
product with you.
- Know your plants. Check the California Poison Control System
web site at www.calpoison.org,
or call the hotline for a list of poisonous and non-poisonous
plants.
- Keep potentially harmful products such as cosmetics, perfume,
cigarettes, alcohol, vitamins with iron, and over-the-counter
drugs clearly out of reach.
If you must call the poison control center, provide the poison
center staff with the following information:
- The name, age and sex of the poisoning victim.
- The exact name of the product or substance involved in the poisoning.
Bring the container to the telephone with you, if possible.
- An estimate of the amount of substance that may have been involved.
- When the poisoning occurred.
- The physical condition of the victim, including any pre-existing
medical problems.
- How the poisoning occurred.
- Any additional information you feel the staff member needs to
know.
For additional information on poisoning prevention and first aid,
as well as a list of poisonous plants and venomous animals, click
on the following links:
California Poison
Control System (CPCS)
CPCS San
Diego Division - San Diego UCSD Medical Center
Poison
Prevention Week Council
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