National Poison Prevention Week: Child-Resistant Packaging and Poison Control Centers Save Lives

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 1998
Release # 98-077

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

National Poison Prevention Week: Child-Resistant Packaging and Poison Control Centers Save Lives

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Ann Brown and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Dr. Lynn R. Goldman warned that pesticides -- like other household chemicals and medicines -- can be poisonous if young children swallow them. "Child-resistant packaging saves lives," Brown said, "but this success story has not eliminated the poisoning problem in America. Each year, approximately 50 children under age 6 die, and more than a million consumers call poison control centers about child poisonings."

At today's annual National Poison Prevention Week news conference, Dr. Goldman emphasized the importance of preventing poisonings from pesticides. "In 1996, there were four deaths from pesticide poisoning," noted Goldman, "and poison centers received 100,000 calls about children exposed to pesticides. Poisonings could be prevented if adults would re-secure the child-resistant packaging and keep pesticides locked away from young children." EPA and CPSC use the same standard for child-resistant packaging required on pesticides, medicines, and household chemicals.

National Poison Prevention Week will be observed on March 15-21, 1998. CPSC and EPA are members of the Poison Prevention Week Council. This coalition of national organizations works to stop accidental poisonings by distributing information and by encouraging local poison control centers, pharmacies, public health departments, and others to conduct poison prevention programs in their communities to help prevent poisonings.

Dr. George Rodgers, President of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, emphasized the life-saving advice provided by the nation's poison control centers. "Poison control centers save lives and health care costs. Every dollar spent on a poison control center saves about $7 in medical expenses. Without poison centers, victims would have to go to emergency rooms. Without immediate intervention, some victims might die."

Another participant at the National Poison Prevention Week news conference was 2-year-old Amy Spangenberg, from Centreville, Va. She was poisoned when she swallowed some moth balls a neighbor had scattered on the ground to repel animals. Through quick action advised by a poison control center, the 2-year-old girl recovered completely.

Consumers can also view a video clip about this press release (Transcript). It is about 21 megabytes long and the download time depends upon the speed of your Internet connection.