Mary Alice Reporting –
The week of March 17th is designated as National Poison Prevention as a way to remind individuals of the dangers and what to do.
Eighty-three percent of poison exposure is nontoxic or is minimal, explains Dr. Sara Kinsman, Director of the Division of Child, Adolescent and Family Health.
Most poisonings are unintentional but there are a wide variety of factors.
“For adults, it tends to be things like pain medications, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, medications to treat depression, allergies, heart condition, and anxiety. For younger children, we tend to see poisoning related to cleaning products, so spring cleaning is a time to be very aware of these concerns.”
Other concerns are kids getting into medications, so it’s important for anyone on prescribed or over the counter pills to store it out of reach.
Anyone in need of immediate assistance can call 911, call the 24-hour Poison Help Line, 1-800-222-1222, to get connected to a local center, or go to the hospital.
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