It has been 58 years since Congress established National Poison Prevention Week in 1961 to raise awareness, reduce unintentional poisonings, and promote poison prevention. Since this declaration, Poison Centers across the country have continued their life-saving work every year. There are now over 2.6 million calls made to poison centers annually. Here at the Missouri Poison Center, we handled approximately 60,000 calls in 2018 alone!
Poison Centers are for everyone because anyone can experience a poison related emergency. You may wonder, “what is a poison?”… It is any substance that can harm someone if used in the wrong way, wrong amount, or by the wrong person. To help us celebrate National Poison Prevention Week, we urge you and your organization to spread the word of the toll-free, confidential, Poison Help line: 1-800-222-1222.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
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- Save Time! Pre-program the Poison Help line in your phone: 1-800-222-1222.
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- Visit our website: https://missouripoisoncenter.org/ and share our resources with your friends, family, and colleagues.
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- Order poison prevention materials through our website for your home, event, or other educational needs by clicking here: https://missouripoisoncenter.org/materials-category/order-materials/.
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- Stay up-to-date by signing up for the Missouri Poison Center’s monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/r/3D7C310A44E405BA
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- Reach out to the Community Outreach Coordinator for resources, help with programs, or to schedule an event: Amanda.Ruback@ssmhealth.com or (314) 612-5719
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- Practice safe storage habits in your own home to prevent an unnecessary poisoning. Find out more here: https://missouripoisoncenter.org/poison-prevention/poison-proofing-your-home/
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- Use our free games to help make learning poison safety fun for your children: https://missouripoisoncenter.org/poison-prevention-lesson-plans/
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- If you have ANY questions about the above information, call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Specially trained nurses and pharmacists are available 24/7/365 to answer your questions. The service is free and confidential.
