Utah (ABC4) — The Utah Poison Control Center released some tips prior to National Poison Prevention Week. “When poison happens, we’re here for you!” UPCC said.
The week of March 19 through March 25, is dedicated to raising awareness about poisoning and highlighting ways to prevent poison exposures.
According to UPCC, poisoning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. In Utah, they said they manage over 40,000 poison cases each year, and that 50% of those exposures are 5 years old or younger. However, UPCC said that poisoning can happen to anyone at any age.
According to data retrieved from UPCC, in Utah, the number one poison exposure for all ages is pain medication, and most are common drugs you can buy over-the-counter without a prescription.
UPCC said if you suspect a poisoning, or even if you just have a poison-related question, they said it is quick and easy to get help from them.
“When you call the poison control center, you will be talking with a health care professional who will help you with your specific situation,” said Amberly Johnson, UPCC Director. “Just pick up the phone and call. It is tempting to search the internet for answers, but when there is a poison emergency, every second counts. Don’t waste valuable time searching online for information that could be incorrect or even dangerous. The poison center provides free, expert, and confidential medical advice anytime day or night.”
Preventing poisoning is the safest route, and to help prevent poisonings, UPCC offers the following tips:
- Be prepared for a poison emergency.
- Keep the poison control phone number available by saving it in your cell phone. “Save the number…someday it may save you back.” 1-(800)-222-1222
- Practice safe storage.
- Always store medicines and hazardous products up and away from children. They said a way to do this is to keep them in their original, child-resistant containers.
- Read and follow directions.
- Review instructions on prescription and over-the-counter medicine and on all other product labels before using them.
- Dispose of unused or expired medication:
- Take these medications to a drop-box location to dispose of them safely.
- Detect invisible threats.
- Have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home.
About the Utah Poison Control Center
The UPCC is a 24-hour resource for poison information, clinical toxicology consultation, and poison prevention education. The UPCC is nationally certified as a regional poison control center.
They have a variety of poison prevention tools to help keep you and your family safe. You can visit the UPCC website utahpoisoncontrol.org to access resources for all ages.
You can also follow UPCC on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram during National Poison Prevention Week, and throughout the year for messages, tips, and alerts.
