Safe Kids Baltimore

Poison Prevention

Safe Kids Baltimore promotes the work of the Maryland Poison Center with efforts throughout the year. Together we offer you these poison prevention tips:

Keep the phone number for the poison center on or near the phone.
Keep potential poisons locked out of children’s site and reach.
Educate your children, yourself, and other caretakers about possible poisons.
Buy products and medicines in child resistant containers.
Keep products in their original containers and never store household products in food containers.
Never mix household products or chemicals together.
Never leave potentially poisonous household products unattended while in use – it only takes seconds for a poisoning to occur.
Never refer to medicine as candy. Many medicines do look like candies. Referring to medicine as candy may encourage children to experiment.
Always follow the directions when giving children medications.
Discard old medications by mixing them with coffee grounds, kitty litter or another undesirable kitchen substance. Place mixture in sealable bag and discard in trash.
If you think a poisoning may have occurred, call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately. Take the product to the phone with you.
If poison gets into a child’s eyes, flush with warm water for 15 minutes by pouring water onto the eyes. Do not allow the child to rub their eyes.
Rinse skin that has come in contact with poison for 15 minutes under cool running water.
Have your house tested for lead based paint if it was built before 1978. Hire someone to remove lead paint if found. Consult your doctor for lead exposure treatment.
Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the house and in the bedrooms. If the alarm sounds – leave immediately. Call the fire department and utility department from a neighbors house or outside the house.
Have all heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and wood burning stoves inspected for safety and proper ventilation.

For Inquiries Contact the Maryland Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 or www.mdpoison.com

This page was last updated on: March 6, 2009.

For more information contact Safe Kids Baltimore at 410-328-7532 or safekidsbaltimore@umm.edu or visit Safe Kids Worldwide