Poison Safety Tips
by Bernadette Abrams
- Store poisonous items out of reach or use locks on cabinets within reach.
- Read product labels that can be hazardous to kids.
- Close caps on medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements and other products immediately after use, and listen for the "click" to make sure the product is closed properly.
- Keep all medicines, household cleaning products, and garden chemicals up high where children can't see or reach them.
- Never store home or garden chemicals in food containers like bottles or cups. Keep them in their original containers with the labels intact.
- Never mix household cleaning products together. Mixing them can cause poisonous gases.
- Call your local poison center immediately if a button battery or a magnet is missing from a toy or other item. Button batteries and magnets can both be deadly if swallowed by a child.
- Install a carbon monoxide detector and check the batteries twice a year.
- Follow the directions on pesticide labels, and be sure to remove children, pets and toys from the area until they can return safely.
- Always ask a trusted grown-up before you take any medicine.
- Never put anything in your mouth if you are not sure if it is safe to eat. Ask a grown-up first.
- Post the Poison Help number by your home phone and program it into cell phones: 1-800-222-1222.
Dangerous house hold items include:
Glow Sticks
The substance inside the glow sticks is a colorless, oily liquid that is low in toxicity but can irritate the eyes, skin and mucous membrane.
Carbon monoxide
The common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. If you breathe in a lot of carbon monoxide, it will make you pass out or kill you.
Mold
Iron Pills
Children can start throwing up blood or having bloody diarrhea in less than an hour.
Nail Glue Remover
Nail primers have caused burns to the skin and mouth of children who tried to drink them.
Alcohol
When children swallow alcohol, they can have seizures, go into a coma, or even die.