Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2007 Release #07-131 |
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every day thousands of new parents assume the responsibility of caring for and protecting a child. Many of these first-time caregivers are unaware of the dangers of unintentional poisonings often related to medicines and household products commonly found in the home, such as personal care products, over-the-counter pain relievers and cleaning substances.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Poison Prevention Week Council are kicking off National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24) to educate and inform consumers of the dangers associated with unintentional poisonings.
From 2002 through 2004, about 36 children younger than 5 died each year as a result of ingesting poisonous substances found in and around the home. In 2005 about 91,000 young children visited hospital emergency rooms and more than one million calls were placed to poison control centers as a result of unintentional poisoning.
"For most first-time parents and caregivers, poison prevention messaging is new," said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. "It is an especially important message to understand and act upon."
Young children are curious and use their home environment as a classroom – a place to learn and explore. Exploring for younger children is often done by mouthing objects which puts them at greater risk of unintentional poisonings. For young children who are unable to read, a bottle of orange-scented household cleaner may be mistaken for orange juice; the medicine in the pill container can look a lot like small candies; and baby oil, which can be deadly if ingested, can resemble a clear drink.
To prevent these incidents, CPSC recommends the following safety steps:
To request poison prevention publications, visit www.poisonprevention.org