(1)Poisoning
from solids and liquids such as drugs, medicines, poisonous houseplants,
cleaning products cause over 6000 deaths per year.
(2)An
additional 500 deaths were due to poisonings from gases and vapors such as
carbon monoxide.
(3)These
deaths are not all among children and can affect any age group. Many adults are
unintentionally poisoned when they do not follow label directions on
medications or household chemicals.
You can keep yourself and family members safer by being
aware of potential hazards and reading the following suggestions to poison
proof your home.
Bathroom
(1)Have
a “child-proof” cabinet that is able to be locked. Even if your medicine
cabinet is high up, children are inquisitive and avid climbers. They can easily
reach a cabinet by climbing the toilet to the sink and thus reach into the
cabinet.
(2)Use
child resistant caps and keep medication lids tightly closed.
(3)Never
take medication in front of a child or refer to the pills as candy. Kids often
mimic adults.
(4)Always
follow the recommend dosage set forth by your doctor for all medications.
(5)Some
mouthwashes contain enough alcohol to poison small children, consider
alternative products.
(6)Some
toilet bowl cleaners are dangerously caustic and capable of burning tissue if
ingested.
Bedroom
(1)Mothballs
and crystals should be hung in containers. If such products are used in closets
or chests, they should be out of reach of toddlers.
(2)Keep
personal care items such as hair spray, cologne, perfumes, nail polish remover,
and astringents where children can’t get into them.
Living Room
(1)Peoples
who may visit may carry medications in coat pockets, jackets, and purses all of
which are perfect hunting grounds for a curious child. Hang garments and store
purses where children are not likely to get at them.
(2)Children
may be exposed to different lead sources in your home. Small children may chew
on windowsills, eat paint chips, or suck on their hands or toys, exposing
themselves to lead dust. Be sure that your home is lead safe.
Kitchen
(1)Check
under the sink and in cabinets. Look for stored products that could be
hazardous when accessible to young children. These include items such as
bleaching agents, rust removers, drain cleaners, ammonia, oven cleaners,
detergents, furniture polish, floor wax, metal polish, and wax remover. Even food
extracts such as vanilla and almond are potential poisons. If products can’t be
moved, install safety latches on cupboard doors to keep inquisitive youngsters
out.
(2)Cleaning
compounds and foods should never be stored together.
(3)Keep
all substances in their original containers. Children or adults could mistake
the contents of the container for a beverage. Labels on the original containers
also give important usage and safety information.
(4)Keep
potentially hazardous cleaning compounds capped. Do not leave an uncapped
container unattended even “just a minute” if toddlers are present.
Additional
Precautions
(1)Keep
the numbers of your local prison control center or family doctor posted near
the telephone. Have the original container and its label when you call.
(2)Keep
syrup or ipecac available but use only when instructed to by a doctor or poison
control center.
(3)Use
safety latches or combination locks to prevent curious children from getting
into cabinets and drawers.
(4)Properly
dispose of unneeded or expired medicines. Look for the expiration date,
out-of-date medications may be ineffective and/or dangerous.
Other Adults
(1)Request
medicine labels to be printed in a larger type
(2)Make
sure you are taking the medicine you intended: double-check the label,
especially when you’re sleepy or sick.
(3)Avoid
dosage errors, use dosage containers indicating day of week and/or time of day;
don’t leave it to memory.
(4)If
you’re taking two or more medications be sure to check with your pharmacist to
avoid unexpected drug interactions.
(5)Consider
a dedicated medicine storage area, even if there are no kids in the house.
Pets
(1)Poisonous
anti-freeze tastes sweet to dogs and cats – clean up spills and leaks
immediately and store carefully.
(2)Avoid
feeding pets human foods, chocolate can poison and kill a dog. Onions are
potentially harmful. Pets are healthier eating food specially formulated for
what they need.
(3)Don’t
spray or store cleaning or pesticide products near pet food or water dishes.
(4)In
the event of a spill, be sure to keep animals out of the area until it’s
cleaned up.
