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Texas Poison Center Network eNewsletter |
Issue 4, September 2010
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Greetings!
This e-newsletter includes important information about keeping school-aged children safe from posssible accidental poisonings due to medications, and ways to keep up with the recent recalls. |
| Fun Fact | |
The poison from a black widow spider is 15 times as potent as the venom from a rattlesnake. However, a black widow will inject a lot less poison than a rattlesnake in a typical bite, however. |
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| Next Issue |
Halloween Safety
Hunting Season Safety Tips |
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| Back-to-School Medication Safety Tips |
Now that summer is over and school is back in session, a little extra planning is required for some Texas children who take prescription medications during the day. Every year the Texas Poison Center Network receives calls from schools and daycare centers about medication being found on floors, in diaper bags or being shared among students.
Specialists with the Texas Poison Center Network, say "parents need to make sure they're following school district policies before sending their kids off to class carrying prescription drugs." It is also important to talk with your child about how important and dangerous these medications are, even if they are sold over the counter. Explain to children that even though medications may make one child feel better, they can make another child very ill.
Also, be sure your children understand that taking more medication than directed on the bottle will not make them feel better quicker but instead can make them sicker. In particular, teenagers should be reminded that taking over-the-counter pain relievers in amounts larger than prescribed can be very dangerous.
Back to school medication safety tips also include:
- Always keep medications in their original container and don't mix several different medications into one container.
- Be familiar with the school's medication policy. Most districts require all medications to be distributed by authorized school personnel. Most policies are going to have you bring the medications to the school nurse and let them distribute the medications. Sending the medication in your child's backpack is not a good idea.
- Sports bags may contain asthma inhalers and sports cream. Asthma inhalers should never be shared with other people.
Nearly half of all calls received by the Texas Poison Center Network involve medications. Giving your child control of the medication puts them and others at risk. The national Poison Control Center hotline, 1-800-222-1222, is available 24/7 and offers free, confidential poison emergency treatment recommendations and information. |
| Poison Prevention Educational Services | |
The Texas Poison Center Network is made up of six regional Poison Centers and each one has a full-time education program dedicated to reducing the incidence of unintentional poisonings and increasing awareness of the services provided by your local poison center.
Each Poison Center provides the following public poison prevention educational services to the public:
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Presentations for all ages at a variety of locations including schools, healthcare facilities, businesses, senior centers and professional conferences.
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 Exhibits at health fairs, and other educational events. -
Media consultation.
There is no charge for any of the services of the Poison Center, although donations are graciously accepted.
To get contact information for your local educator, click HERE or call 1-800-222-1222. |
| How Can I Keep Up with All the Recalls? | Lead Poisoning! Food Poisoning! How am I supposed to keep up with all of the recalls? Have you asked yourself that question recently? It seems like every day we hear about another product that has been recalled for one reason or another. Parents do have to work hard to stay on top of all the recalls so they can keep their family and pets safe.
Back in June 2009, several of the popular Thomas railroad cars were recalled. In another instance, six different toys which totaled 1.5 million units were recalled because they contained high levels of lead paint. Then on August 14th, Mattel's Jeep, Sarge from the "Cars" movie was also listed as dangerous. And while parents balance frustration toward toy companies with relief at discovering the toxic toys before their kids get sick, they also deal with another problem: how to not feel like the "Grinch Who Stole Playtime" when they have to take those toys away.
There have been several recalls of food products because of the danger of food poisoning. We've had recalls for peanut butter, lettuce, spinach, oysters, salmon, eggs and several other foods. Why, we've even had a recall on "Chocolate Cookies"! And it's not limited to our human family members. We've had to deal with recalls that have affected our pet family members as well.
For links to the different websites regarding these recalls, visit www.poisoncontrol.org. Click HERE to read about ways to keep your family safe from Salmonella. Remember, the Texas Poison Center Network is always there to answer any question you might have about any possible poisoning. The national hotline number, 1-800-222-1222, is available 24 hours a day. Callers are automatically connected to specially trained nurses, pharmacists and physicians at the closest local poison center. These specialists answer poison-related questions about medications, household products and other potentially dangerous substances and can provide poison education materials such as brochures and stickers. |
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What would you do if someone you know accidentally swallowed something dangerous?
Anytime something that might be dangerous is swallowed, gets on the skin, or in the eye - call for Poison Help right away. Whether you have a poisoning emergency or just a question, don't guess---be sure: Call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222. A medical professional will answer your call right away and give you the help you need.
The call is free...peace of mind is priceless. |
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