Poisons can be anywhere--beware: National Poison Prevention Week
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) — It's a week dedicated to raising awareness of poising risks while looking at preventative measures to avoid poisoning, especially in children.
According to America's Poison Centers 2021 report, there were 2,080,917 human exposure cases across 64 states and territories, on average, one case every 15 seconds.
In children ages five and younger, 41 percent of exposure cases involved children.
The report also found that the top five substance categories people were exposed to in 2021 included the following:
- 11.2 percent--Analgesics
- 7.5 percent--Household Cleaning Substances
- 5.9 percent--Cosmetics/Personal Care Products
- 5.6 percent--Antidepressants
- 4.7 percent--Sedative/Hypnotics/Antipsychotics
To help reduce those numbers, America's Poison Centers has its National Poison Prevention Week this week.
"Poison Centers are often the unsung heroes on the front lines of responding to poisoning and public health emergencies," said Chief Executive Officer with America's Poison Centers, Richard Fogelson. "National Poison Prevention Week serves as a reminder of the critical role that Poison Centers play in providing education and prevention information to help keep our communities and families safe.
America's Poison Centers operates 55 poison centers, including the California Poison Control System for the Fresno and Madera Division.
If you have a poison emergency, you're asked to call the poison help line at 1-800-222-1222, where an expert can help out 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. The center says to call 911 immediately if an individual has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened.
You can also get online poison help by clicking here.
Medical Director for the Fresno-Madera Division of the California Poison Control System, Dr. Rais Vohra, joined Eyewitness News reporter Tony Salazar to discuss what could be poisonous for children and ways parents can poison-proof their home while taking a look at America's Poison Centers 2021 report.
