Each year, more than two million people—many under the age of five—swallow or come into contact with a poisonous substance.* More than 90 percent of these occurrences happen in the home.** That's because many common household items, such as cleaning supplies and medicines, can be poisonous if used in the wrong way or by the wrong person. Work with your family to learn the risks associated with such hazards and take preventative actions to stop a poisoning from happening in your home.

Poison Prevention Tips For Parents

It only takes seconds for a child to get into something dangerous. By identifying particularly dangerous items and childproofing potential hazards, parents can help their children stay safe inside the home.

• Add the poison control help line into your phone (1-800-222-1222). This toll-free hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days week.
  
• Secure medicines and household products. Place hazardous items up high and out of sight in a cabinet where a child cannot reach them. Safety latches can provide some security, but keep in mind they are not completely childproof.
• Put medicines and household products away every time you use them. For example, never leave medicine out at a sick child’s bedside, even if you have to give the medicine again in a few hours.
• Secure items with small batteries. Small button-cell batteries can cause serious injury if ingested. Store away items that have these types of batteries. This includes remote controls, key fobs, greeting cards, and musical children’s books.
• Secure the safety cap on all medicine bottles. Safety caps are designed to be child resistant; however, they are not fully child proof. Don't assume your child can't open a medicine container.
• Identify and secure poisonous plants in and around your home. Many commons households plants can be dangerous if ingested. Place them out of reach of children or pets. Teach children not to taste or play with or eat non-food plants both indoors and outdoors. Learn more about poisonous plants at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/poisonous-plants.html.
• Check the label each time you give a child medicine to ensure proper dosage. For liquid medicines, use the dosing device that came with the medicine. Never use a kitchen spoon.

DRUGs & Medicines

• Only take prescription medications that are prescribed by your doctor. Misusing or abusing prescription or over-the-counter medications is not a safe alternative to illicit substance abuse.
• Read the label before taking or giving medicine. Every medicine has specific instructions for safe use that should always be followed. The instructions tell you about the dosage, how to take it, when to take it, and when not to take it. If a medicine doesn't work, don't take extra doses. Contact your health care provider.
  
• Keep medicines in their original packaging. This will help you and others avoid making a mistake, such as taking the wrong medicine. If you must transfer your medicine, put it into a child-resistant pill reminder box.
• Never combine medicines. If you're taking more than one drug at a time, check with your health care provider, pharmacist, or call the poison control help line to find out more about possible drug interactions.
• Never share your prescription drugs. Keep all prescription medicines and over-the-counter medicines in a safe place that can only be reached by people who take or give them.
• Monitor the use of medicines prescribed for children and teenagers.

Household Chemicals & Carbon Monoxide

• Follow label instructions before using or storing a household chemical. Labels provide a lot of crucial information, such as how to apply the product and when it’s safe for people or pets to re-enter treated areas.
  
• Keep chemical products in their original bottles or containers. For example, don't use water bottles to store cleaning solutions as someone may unintentionally consume it.
• Never mix household products together. Mixing different chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia, can result in the production of toxic gases.
• Wear protective clothing when spraying pesticides or other chemicals. Protect your skin by wearing gloves, long sleeves, long pants, socks, and shoes as instructed on the product label.
• Turn on a fan and open windows when using household cleaners.
• Maintain working carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, colorless and odorless gas that can be found inside your home. Dangerous concentrations of this gas can build up in enclosed spaces when a fuel-burning appliance or machine is not working or vented properly.
• Never store materials that can cause a fire in the sun or near a heat source. For example, don't leave gas canisters outside in the sun.
  

Food Poisoning

Every year, an estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases.*** Keep the following tips in mind to prevent food poisoning:

• Wash your hands and work surfaces before, during and after preparing food. Germs can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops.
• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from ready-to-eat foods. Use separate cutting boards and keep raw meat away from other foods in your shopping cart and refrigerator.
• Thoroughly cook poultry and meat. You can kill bacteria by cooking poultry and meat to a safe internal temperature. Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature. You can’t tell if meat is properly cooked by looking at its color or juices.
• Store food at the proper temperatures. Keep your refrigerator 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking (or within one hour if food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F).
• Wash fruits and vegetables with running water. Do not wash meat, poultry or eggs.

Dispose of Hazardous Items

You can make your home safer by disposing of any unused, unneeded or expired household hazardous waste (HHW) lying around your home, such as medicine, auto fluids, batteries, electronics, lightbulbs, household cleaners, paint. San José residents can take advantage of Santa Clara County's HHW disposal program by scheduling a free drop-off appointment at www.HHW.org.