Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/ask-dr.-sue-new-resources-for-promoting-health-and-safety/5014958/
Each March, events held during National Poisoning Prevention Week help increase public awareness of how to prevent poisonings. Poisoning is a common problem for young children. Every year, the nation's poison control centers receive around 1 million calls about children who have swallowed something harmful - and annually 30 children die from accidental poisoning. The theme of the public education program is "Children Act Fast . . . So Do Poisons!" Childhood poisoning usually happens when adults are distracted for just a few moments.A poison is any substance that can harm someone, including useful substances that are given the wrong way, to the wrong person, or in the wrong amount. Household products, chemicals in the environment, snake bites, spider bites, and scorpion stings, cause poisoning. With the expanded use of medications, adults need to be more vigilant to protect children from potentially dangerous chemicals in prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, illegal, and animal drugs.
Medications brought into the facility for children in care and for adults who work in the facility generate many opportunities for children to get poisoned. Chemicals used for cleaning and maintenance are risks, too. Try to avoid toxic chemicals when you can; make and enforce policies that ...