March 23, 2016

POISON-PROOF YOUR HOME DURING NATIONAL POISON PREVENTION WEEK

Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla.—March 20-26, 2016 is the 55^th observance of National Poison Prevention Week as established by the United States Congress. Poison prevention is everyone’s responsibility and it only takes a few minutes to safely store potentially hazardous products. In 2015, nearly 40,000 poison exposure calls reported in our state were regarding children age 5 and younger.

“Poisonings are completely preventable; it is up to all adults to keep children, Florida’s future, from harmful exposure to medications and chemicals around the home,” said Interim State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip. “Always keep the Poison Help Line visibly posted in your home or classroom in case of emergency, 1-800-222-1222.”

Florida’s Poison Control Centers handled 141,680 incoming calls during 2015. While many exposures are treatable, they can also be fatal. It is important to know how to prevent poisoning and what to do in case you or your children consume a potentially dangerous product.

The Florida Poison Information Center Network recommends the following tips for poison prevention:

• Install safety latches on cabinets and drawers;
• Keep all medicines, cleaning supplies and chemicals out of site and reach of children;
• Try to purchase products with child-proof packaging when available;
• Keep products in their original packaging, do not store them in food containers;
• Always read product labels and follow directions exactly; and
• Do not call medicine “candy” when giving it to children.

The Poison Help Line is free, confidential, multilingual, and automatically directs the caller to the poison control center covering their geographic area.

Click here for a helpful infographic on poison prevention.

Download the poison patrol checklist to help identify and safely store household poisons to keep your family safe and healthy.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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