Poison Control Resources for Families
Information about common poisonous items
The Poison Control Center provides helpful information about poisonous plants, medicines, cleaning products and other items. Please choose from the list on the left to learn more about a specific poisonous item and what you can do to keep your family safe.
Poison prevention education
The Poison Control Center offers a variety of poison prevention education materials for schools and poison prevention educators. These materials can also be used by families to teach their children about poison prevention.
Medication safety resources
Medication safety is an important preventive measure for unintentional poisonings, especially in children. The American Association of Poison Control Centers have partnered with SafeKids Worldwide to bring you the following educational material.
Did you know that every 8 minutes a child presents to an emergency room for a medication-related poisoning?
Get the facts about kids and medication safety
Do you know how you can prevent medication poisoning in your child?
Some children are poisoned by their own medicine. It’s important to:
- Read labels carefully
- Use measuring devices that come with the medications (not kitchen spoons)
- Provide detailed instructions for others who may need to give medicine to your child
Learn how to store, give and get rid of medications safely.
Download an example of a medication schedule.
For more information, please visit www.upandaway.org.
Additional resources
Why Is Coco Orange?
Developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Why is Coco Orange" is a story of a chameleon that can't change colors and his asthma is acting up. This is a great way to teach children about air quality and how to stay healthy when the air quality is bad.
ToxTown
ToxTown is an interactive site for secondary students, educators and the general public. Features everyday locations where you might find toxic chemicals, non-technical descriptions of chemicals, an explanation of how the environment can impact human health, and links to Internet resources on environmental health topics. ToxTown is a companion to the extensive information in the TOXNETcollection of databases typically used by toxicologists and healthcare professionals.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Kids' Pages
The NIEHS Kids' Pages educate children about the connections between their health and the environment, and encourage children to pursue careers in health, sciences and the environment. They also help children to learn to read and to master the challenges of mathematics and sciences.
Stop! Ask First! video
An animated six-minute video that teaches children about the dangers of poisons in the home. Copyright 2007 New York State Poison Control Centers