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Children and Household Chemicals are Focus of National Poison Prevention Week, March 16-22

Banner Poison Control Center helps to raise awareness of accidental child poisonings

PHOENIX (March 5, 2008) – Each year, approximately 2.4 million people – more than half under age 6 – swallow or have contact with a poisonous substance. In Maricopa County alone, more than 11,000 children under age 6 are poisoned. Although the majority of child poisonings occur in the home and are not serious, there are instances when a poisoning is very serious and can result in medical complications and even death.

Educating families about the basics of poison prevention and what to do if a poisoning does take place can help save young lives. Poison prevention education and appropriate, immediate information and treatment from by emergency responders and medical personnel are critical to keeping your child safe.

The Banner Poison Control Center, located at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, encourages Arizonans to become educated about harmful products and their effects during National Poison Prevention Week, March 16-22. Parents are urged to store poisonous products safely out of their children’s reach and to be aware of a young child’s curiosity with the unknown. The goal of National Poison Prevention Week is to help reduce accidental poisonings in children under 6.

“’Children Act Fast…So Do Poisons’ is the theme of National Poison Prevention Week and that is so appropriate,” said Kathleen Waszolek, director of the Banner Poison Control Center. “It can take an instant for a poisoning to occur when children are able to reach household chemicals and medicines, especially when toddlers put just about everything in their mouths.

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“Many incidents happen when adults are using a product but become distracted for a few moments, maybe by a phone or a door bell. Adults must make sure that all household chemicals and medicines are stored away from children at all times,” Waszolek added.

Common substances such as drain cleaner, pool acids and lamp oil can cause death with just one swallow. Adult medications are also a leading cause of childhood poisonings.

National Poison Prevention Week is an important way to alert parents to the fact that there are approximately 30 deaths and nearly 1 million incidents each year in which young children are exposed to potential poisons.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Association of Poison Control Centers, and the Poison Prevention Week Council have developed basic poison prevention tips that every person should consider during National Poison Prevention Week:

Keep all chemicals and medicines locked up and out of sight.
Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container securely after each use or choosing child-resistant blister cards.
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 chemicals, cleaning products and medications in original marked 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. Lamp oil can be very toxic if ingested by young children.
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.
Call 1 (800) 222-1222 immediately in case of poisoning or suspected poisoning.

The Banner Poison Control Center Hotline received more than 105,000 phone calls for exposures in 2007, including:

54,000 human exposures to toxins and poisons
23,000 pediatric exposures age 12 and under
27,200 exposures age 19 and under
14,000 persons bitten or stung by snakes, scorpions, spiders or other venomous creatures
45,370 calls for identification of drugs, information concerning teratogens (agents causing birth defects) and drug information
Nurses and poison control experts made more than 150,000 outgoing follow-up calls to provide home management.

Approximately 41,000 exposed persons were treated in their own home without a trip to an emergency department and the Poison Center experts made more than 150,000 outgoing follow-up calls to provide home management. Based on surveys of callers to the poison center, 29,000 of these cases would have gone to nearby hospital emergency departments and preventing more than $30 million in unnecessary healthcare bills.

If you need poison help the Banner Poison Control Center is just a phone call away and can be reached at 1 (800) 222-1222. The center provides a free, 24-hour emergency telephone service for both residents and medical professionals of Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County. The Poison Center nurses provide information about poisonous substances, first aid information, treatment recommendations, drug identification and information, and a healthy dose of support and caring to all callers. Non-emergent information may also be obtained by e-mail: poisoncenter@bannerhealth.com.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: The Banner Poison Control Center staff is available for interview prior to and during National Poison Prevention Week. Possible topics include safe storage of household chemicals, common items that may lead to poisoning, why cleaners and medication may look like juice or candy to a toddler, venomous creatures and more. To arrange media interviews, please contact the Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations office at (602) 239-4411 or media pager (602) 250-0383.