Listed
below are facts on poisons, tips on poison prevention,
and other important information:
POISON
FACT SHEET
Frequency
of poison exposures
• There are an estimated 5 million poison exposures
per year in the United States.
•
Thousands of these poisonings are fatal.
•
Over half of all poisonings involve children under the
age of 6.
•
New York State alone handled about 170,000 poison exposure
cases in 2000.
Forms
of poisons
• Poisons may be solids, liquids or gases.
•
There are several routes that a person can be exposed
to a toxin. Poisons may be ingested, inhaled, injected
or may come into direct contact with the skin or eyes.
•
Poisons may also be introduced by an animal bite or
sting.
•
Overall, the most common poison is medication. For children,
cleaning substances are the most common.
•
Children are frequently exposed to poisons during times
of family stress when they may be unattended. Examples
include during family arguments, moving or immediately
after the death of a relative.
•
“Look-alike” packaging or products often
confuse both children and adults.
•
There are more than 250,000 potentially poisonous drugs
and commercial products.
Poison
Control Center information
• Poison Control Centers are available across
the country for information on poisons and possible
exposures.
•
Poison Control Centers have professionals who are specifically
trained in the prevention and treatment of poisons.
•
All calls to Poison Control Centers are FREE.
•
You can reach a Poison Center specialist 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
•
One nationwide phone number puts you in contact with
your nearest Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222.
Poison
Prevention Reminders:
•
Remember to read all labels carefully
• Turn the lights on when looking for medication
• Call medicines by their proper names; don’t
call them “candy”
• Discard old, unused medicines
• Always keep medications and other products in
their original, labeled containers
• Avoid leaving children alone when potentially
harmful substances are around
• Avoid keeping edibles and non-edibles on the
same shelf
• Know the names of your household plants in case
of an accidental ingestion |
