Poisons in Your Home 

Nationwide, more than 1.2 million children age 5 and under are treated in the emergency room for unintentional poisoning.

Children connect color, shapes, textures and flavor with food. It is hard for children to distinguish what is safe when you have “poison look-alikes.”

Looking through a child’s eyes, could you tell the difference between a red cold tablet and a cinnamon red hot? Let’s check out some other potential “look a likes.”

How about?

Sweet tarts and antacids

Gummi Bear vitamins and Gummi Bear candy

Round coated analgesics versus M & M candies

Ex-Lax versus a Hershey Bar

Grape flavored cough syrup or grape juice

Cough drops or hard candy

Blue Kool Aid Burst versus Windex

Pine Sol versus apple juice

Moth balls or small marshmallows? 

You can’t rely on a scent to be a deterrent to children. Remember, it is not just swallowing a poison that can cause harm. Smelling or touching a substance can also be harmful to a child.

 Some safety tips:

	Never call medicine “candy” when giving to children; store out of sight and out of reach.
	If you must keep medicine in your purse or pocket, make sure it has a childproof cap.
	Never transfer prescription medication to another container, keep in original container.
	Keep glues, correction fluid or rubber cement locked up. These can be harmful if inhaled or swallowed.
	Make sure your houseplants are not poisonous to children or animals.
	Keep garage products, paints, paint solvents and pesticides, antifreeze, locked away from children and animals.

Let’s be aware of poison dangers anytime of the year, making sure your home is poison safe.

When unsure about a product that might have been ingested, call:

NORTHWEST OHIO POISON CONTROL  1-800-589-3897 or,

NATIONWIDE POISON CONTROL CENTER  1-800-222-1222