Palmetto Poison Center urges safety precautions
National Poison Prevention Week began on March 19 and the Palmetto Poison Center is taking the opportunity to remind people to be safe and prepared.
Each year more than 2 million calls are received at poison centers nationwide.
Calling a poison center is faster and more accurate than an internet search. On average, 90% of poisonings happen in American homes each year, and more than 70% of people who call a poison center get the help they need right where they are – saving the cost of a trip to a doctor or hospital.
The Palmetto Poison Center serves all counties in South Carolina and each year receives approximately 31,000 calls. While more than half of the calls originate from issues with children, poisonings can happen at any age.
Additional examples of calls may include: an older adult medication error, a chemical exposure at home or on the job site, a teenager taking an unknown or known substance intentionally, a bee sting, and so much more.
The Palmetto Poison Center offers these tips to prevent poisonings:
• Keep all household products and medicines locked up, and out of sight and reach of children and vulnerable adults.
• Use child resistant packaging properly by closing the container securely after use and storing immediately after use.
• When any product is in use, keep it in sight. Walking away from it, even briefly, can lead to poisoning.
• Keep all items in their original containers.
• Read the label before using any product or medicine. Dose instructions are not suggestions, they are safety guidelines.
• Avoid taking medicine in front of children; they love to copy adults.
• Talk to your teenager about the risk of taking medicine or substances intentionally or accepting these items from someone they don’t know.
• Vulnerable adults should be supervised as well to avoid poison related injuries.
If you are in need of help, call 1-800-222-1222 for free, confidential information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And you can learn more safety information and order free materials for your home at the Palmetto Poison Center website.