Illinois Poison Prevention Month is Right Around the Corner...Make Sure Poisons Aren't!
by Scott A. Meyers, Executive Vice President
February 15, 2007
March has
been proclaimed Poison Prevention Month in Illinois, and the third week
of March (18-24) is National Poison Prevention Week. Now’s a good time
to make plans for some community and family outreach programs. If
you’re brave enough to take on a classroom of grade schoolers or even
older pre-schoolers, this is a great topic for young ears and eyes.
Ask your child’s or grandchild’s teacher if he/she would like a short
presentation on the subject, and then get all the information you need
from the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) at
www.illinoispoisoncenter.org.
There’s
a variety of information and games available on the Poison Center’s
website and enough materials to create an informative 15-20 minute
presentation. While it may be too late to order poison prevention
materials to handout this year, there are plenty of materials to
familiarize yourself with and possibly order for next year’s
presentations. In addition, you can sign up to be a poison prevention
educator with the IPC and receive regular updates via e-mail.
But
don’t forget to make sure your own home is poison proofed. If little
children visit you on a regular basis, there is a chance for
poisonings. And even with no children around, sometimes we get
careless with cleaners and other chemicals that could put our adult
family members and pets in danger. Encourage other family members to
inspect their homes to make sure your extended family stays safe for
the next year. So take a look around your house, make a couple of
calls and make sure you are safe and sound for 2007.
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