It’s National Poison Prevention Week
In recognition of National Poison Prevention Week, which is March 19 through 25, NYCHA’s Environmental Health and Safety Department would like to share the following tips to help keep you and your family safe:
Be Prepared for a Poison Emergency
- Call the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222 right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine or vitamin, even if you are not completely sure.
- Save this number in your phone so you will have it when you need it.
Practice Safe Storage Habits
Medicine Safety
- Put medicines and vitamins up and away and out of children’s reach and sight
- Always put medicines away
- Make sure the safety cap is locked
- Teach your children about medicine safety
- Teach your children what medicine is and why you or a trusted adult must be the one to give it to them
- Ask family members, house guests, and other visitors to keep purses, bags, or coats that have medicine in them up and away and out of sight when they are in your home
Safety Tips for Other Items
The following items should be stored up, away, and out of sight of children, and in their original containers. Alternatively, keep these substances in cabinets secured with child-resistant locks. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a 100-percent child-proof lock or container.
- Tobacco and e-cigarette products, especially liquid nicotine
- Alcohol
- Laundry and cleaning supplies
- Pesticides and insect repellents
- Button batteries, such as those found in musical greeting cards, key fobs, etc.
- Any type of oil or lubricant, including fragrance oils, tiki torch oils, engine oil, etc.
- Personal care products, especially contact lens disinfectants and hand sanitizers
The Unpredictable Dangers of Edibles
Children, adults, and pets can mistake marijuana products, particularly edibles, for regular food or candy. Edibles, or food and drink products with marijuana, have some different risks than smoked marijuana, including a greater risk of poisoning. This is because the amount of THC, or the concentration or strength, is very difficult to measure and is often unknown in edible products. Many people who use edibles can be caught off-guard by their strength and long-lasting effects. To ensure you and your children are safe, be sure to keep these items in child-proof containers and out of the reach of children and pets.
Practice Safe Home Habits
- Review the label on any potentially hazardous substance or product prior to use, especially before administering medicines
- Alert all caregivers about the potential dangers of pesticides and share these tips with them
- Teach children that “pesticides are poisons” and not to be touched
If you have questions about this or any environmental, health, or safety matter, contact ehs@nycha.nyc.gov.
For more information about how to protect you and your family from poisoning, please visit: