Keep this number near the phone: 800-222-1222.
That’s the toll-free, nationwide hot line for poison-control centers. It routes calls from anywhere in the United States to the nearest poison-control center. Annually, U.S. centers receive more than 1 million calls about accidental poisonings of children younger than 5 from medicine and household chemicals. Such poisonings kill about 30 children in that age group each year.
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According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, three ways to reduce deaths and injuries from poisonings are:
– Keep medicines and household chemicals locked up, out of reach and out of sight of young children at all times.
– Use child-resistant packaging.
– Call 800-222-1222 to get immediate treatment advice for poison emergencies.
To get a free packet of poison prevention publications, write to “Poison Prevention Packet,” CPSC, Washington, DC 20207, or visit www.poisonprevention.org.