Poison Prevention

Store potentially poisonous household products and medications locked out of children's sight and reach.

• Read labels to find out what is poisonous. Potential hazards include makeup, medicine, plants, cleaning products, pesticides, art supplies, and beer, wine, and liquor.
• Never leave potentially poisonous household products unattended while in use.
• Be aware of poisons that may be in your handbag. Store handbags out of the reach of young children.
• Never mix cleaning products.
• Buy child-resistant packages when available. Keep products in their original packages to avoid confusion.
  

Keep the toll-free nationwide poison control center number (1-800-222-1222) and local emergency numbers near every telephone.

• If you suspect poisoning and a child is choking, collapses, can't breathe, or is having a seizure, call 911. Otherwise, take the product to the phone and call the poison control hotline.
• Follow the operator's instructions.
• Don't make the child vomit or give him anything unless directed.
  

Be safe when taking or administering medication.

• Always read labels, follow directions, and give medications to children based on their weights and ages. Only use the dispensers packaged with children's medications. 
• Don't take medicine or vitamins in front of kids, and don't call them candy.
• Throw away old medicine by flushing it down a toilet.
• Tell grandparents and friends about avoiding medication poisoning when your family visits their homes.

Take precautions to avoid other poisons that may be present in the home.

• Test children for lead exposure, and test homes built before 1978 for lead-based paint. If it is found, cover the lead paint with a sealant or hire a professional abatement company to remove the paint.
• Frequently wash children's hands and faces, as well as their toys and pacifiers, to reduce the risk of ingesting lead-contaminated dust.
• Install CO alarms in every sleeping area and on all levels of your home. Check batteries every month.
• If the alarm sounds, leave the home immediately and call for help from a neighbor's home or a cell phone outside the phone.
• Ensure that space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves are vented properly and inspected annually.
• Remove a vehicle from the garage to warm it up, even if the garage door is kept open.