GREEN COUNTY — In 2020, 149 poisoning cases of Green County residents were handled by the Wisconsin Poison Center. As part of National Poison Prevention Week, Green County Public Health is highlighting the dangers of potentially poisonous medicines and chemicals, and outlining preventative steps people can take to ensure their safety and that of their loved ones.
More than 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the Nation’s poison control centers. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 93% of poisonings happen at home, and 45% of poisonings involve children under the age of 6. The majority of fatal poisonings occur among adults, especially older adults.
To prevent poisonings in the home, take the following steps:
● Keep all medicines, household cleaners, chemicals and potentially poisonous substances, in locked cabinets or out of the reach of children.
● Keep all medicines, household cleaners, chemicals and potentially poisonous substances in their original containers.
● Have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home. The best places for a CO detector are near bedrooms and close to furnaces.
● Store food at the proper temperatures. Refrigerated foods should not be left out at temperatures above 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for more than 2 hours.
If someone may have been poisoned, take the following actions:
● If the person is not breathing, call 911.
● If suspecting someone has been poisoned, do not wait for signs of poisoning before calling Poison Help (1-800-222-1222), which connects to the local poison center.
● Be ready to tell the expert on the phone information about the individual such as age, weight, health conditions, the product involved, how long ago the poison contacted the person.
National Poison Prevention Week was established by the U.S. Congress in 1961 to focus national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. To learn more about ways to keep people of all ages safe, help prevent poisonings and what to do if someone was potentially poisoned, visit the Poison Help website at www.PoisonHelp.hrsa.gov.
“By educating local residents about preventative steps in the home and in their lives, I believe we can make serious progress in keeping our loved ones safe,” said RoAnn Warden, Health Officer. “It is vital that people arm themselves with basic information on poison prevention in the home, such as keeping chemicals out of the reach of children and carefully reading the labels and dosages on all products.”
For more information about Poison Prevention Week, and to stay up-to-date on all things related to Green County Public Health, “like” Green County Public Health on Facebook and visit https://greencountywi.org/192/Public-Health.