National Poison Prevention Week: Poisonings Kill About 30 Children Annually, Cause 1 Million Calls to Poison Centers

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2000
Release # 00-077

CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles, (301) 504-7052

National Poison Prevention Week: Poisonings Kill About 30 Children Annually, Cause 1 Million Calls to Poison Centers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Each year, unintentional poisonings from medicines and household chemicals kill about 30 children and prompt more than 1 million calls to the nation's poison control centers. National Poison Prevention Week, which is March 19-25, aims to help prevent those childhood poisonings by reminding people to check their homes now.

The three most important safety messages to prevent poisonings are: (1) Use child-resistant packaging because it saves lives; (2) Keep medicines and household chemicals locked up out of reach and out of sight of young children because some children can open child-resistant packaging; and (3) Keep the poison control center number next to your telephone and call immediately if a poisoning occurs.

% (CPSC) requires child- resistant packaging for 28 categories of medicines and household chemicals and is considering such packaging for a group of chemicals known as hydrocarbons. "Child resistant-packaging saves lives," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "For aspirin and oral prescription medicine, special packaging has saved the lives of about 800 children since the early 1970s."

However, child-resistant packaging is not child-proof. If a young child swallows a medicine or chemical, parents must call the poison control center immediately. Dr. Jess Benson, President of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, said, "By treating poisoning in the home instead of the emergency room, poison centers save the United States $350 million annually."

In February, the President signed into law the "Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act" to stabilize the funding of poison centers. If Congress approves funding this year, the act will financially stabilize poison center programs throughout the United States.

National Poison Prevention Week is organized each year by the Poison Prevention Week Council, a coalition of national organizations working to prevent poisonings. According to William W. Bradley, Chairman of the Poison Prevention Week Council, "National Poison Prevention Week increases awareness of child poisonings by emphasizing the responsibility of parents, grandparents, and other caregivers in preventing poisonings. Children are curious, and they act fast. Keep chemicals and medicines out of reach and out of sight. Poisonings can, and should, be prevented."

At a news conference today, 4-year-old Aaron King and his mother, Janis Guerney, told the story of his poisoning. Aaron swallowed some hand-sanitizing gel from a pump bottle. His mother called the poison center which recommended that she give him something to drink, watch him for an hour, and not let him go to sleep. He is fine today.

Here are the basic poison prevention tips that every person should check during National Poison Prevention Week:

Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container securely after use.
Keep all chemicals and medicines locked up and out of sight.
Call the poison center immediately in case of poisoning. Keep on hand a bottle of "syrup of ipecac" but use it only if the poison center instructs you to induce vomiting.
When products are in use, never let young children out of your sight, even if you must take them along when answering the phone or doorbell.
Keep items in original containers.
Leave the original labels on all products, and read the label before using.
Do not put decorative lamps and candles that contain lamp oil where children can reach them.
Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine. Check the dosage every time.
Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Refer to medicine as "medicine," not "candy."
Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and safely dispose of unneeded and outdated medicines.

To get a free packet of poison prevention publications, write to "Poison Prevention Packet," CPSC, Washington, DC 20207.

Consumers can also view a video clip about National Poison Prevention Week (Transcript). It is about 13 megabytes long and the download time depends upon the speed of your Internet connection.