Texas Poison Center Network
March 18-24, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW), which is a great time of the year to join the efforts of the Texas Poison Center Network to reduce the number and severity of poisonings in your community and help raise awareness of 1-800-222-1222, the toll-free number to reach your local poison center. 

 

Help us promote National Poison Prevention Week and prevent poisonings with these great tips.  You can use them for your blog, your own newsletter, to distribute to students and employees, or pick your favorite for a closing thought for emails. 

 

Thank you in advance for helping to get the word out in your community. Take action.  Together, we CAN make a difference.  You can order free poison prevention materials all year long.  Everyday is a good day to prevent poisonings!

 

Your poison center educator would  love to come give a presentation for your organization. We have age-appropriate presentations available for every group, including training workshops. Click HERE for contact information.
50th Anniversary of NPPW
 

Cathy's Story - A Poison Tragedy

by the American Association of Poison Control Centers

 

Fifty years ago, in 1962, 3-year-old Philip was rushed to the nearest hospital, 30 minutes away. Tragically, he had ingested a bottle of rat poison. Though all attempts were made to save his life, he lived only a few more hours. 50 years later, his sister, Cathy Seifried of Kingwood, Texas, is still grieving. According to Cathy, her brother's death, a tragedy in itself, had long-lasting effects on her entire family as grief, sadness and remorse took its toll. "I had good parents," says Seifried. "They managed to function and go through the daily motions ... but as a family, we were broken."

 

Today, Seifried focuses her efforts on supporting poison control centers. She feels that had her family had access to the education, outreach, and support that today's poison centers offer, her family might have avoided terrible heartbreak and devastation.

 

This week the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week and it is a great time to help spread the poison prevention message. There is much work yet to be done. Poisoning is the leading cause of death from unintentional injuries in the United States - ahead of motor vehicle crashes and guns.

 

Just one phone number, 1-800-222-1222, will put you in touch with your local poison center anywhere in the United States. Calls are answered by experts in poisoning treatment and prevention 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Calls to poison centers are free and confidential. Callers have access to poison advice in more than 150 languages and all calls are free and confidential.

 

What can you do to prevent poisonings?

  • Keep medicines and cleaning supplies locked up and away from children. Children act fast. Unfortunately, so do poisons.
  • Always use your glasses to read your prescription bottle, and only take medicine with the lights on. These simple actions can prevent accidents.
  • Ask visitors to keep purses and luggage containing medicine out of reach of children at all times.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors and check batteries at least twice a year.
  • Keep the 1- 800-222-1222 number accessible and programmed into your phone. Your local poison center can send you magnets and stickers with the number. Call the Poison Help number even if it's not an emergency. When in doubt, check it out.
  • Support legislation that funds local poison centers.  In 2011, federal budget cuts reduced funding for poison centers by 36 percent. Poison centers, which handle about 4 million calls a year, are now in jeopardy; further cuts will make it difficult for poison centers to continue providing life-saving services.

"Philip has been gone for 50 years," says Seifried. "I know there are many other stories just like his. For their sakes, please get involved with your local poison center in promoting poisoning prevention and the Poison Help number. You can make a difference."

Poison Centers - Not Just For Kids

 

Poison centers are for everyone. Parents and babysitters call poison centers when young children have become exposed to toxic substances. Seniors use poison centers when they fear they may have made an error in taking their medicine. And doctors, nurses, pharmacists and emergency room staff place 1,400 calls daily to the Poison Help number for treatment advice on drug- or poison-related cases. Poison centers are also a highly cost-effective source of health care. For every dollar spent on poison centers, 7 dollars are saved in unnecessary health-care costs. On average, 70 percent of callers are able to be treated at home, thus avoiding the far more costly hospital or doctor's office visits. Poison centers also provide outreach to their communities, taking proactive steps to reduce both the number and severity of poison exposures. It is estimated that poison center services, in addition to saving lives, are three times as cost-effective as child safety seats, bicycle helmets and smoke detectors and are as cost-effective as childhood immunizations.

Learn more at www.PoisonControl.org, including how to contact your local poison center educator for health fairs and presentations.  You may use any part or all of this newsletter to help prevent poisonings and raise awareness of poison center services and 1-800-222-1222.

 

You can find a National Poison Prevention Week Planner HERE and awareness ideas HERE.