National Poison Prevention Week is March 21 -27

The third full week in March has been designated “National Poison Prevention Week,” focusing national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1961, National Poison Prevention Week is commissioned by the National Poison Prevention Week Council. During this week, we come together as a community to educate ourselves on poison prevention and pledge our commitment to ensuring the safety of our families, communities, and each other.

Did you know 93% of poisonings occur in people’s homes?

Did you know 45% of poisoning involve children under age six?

Did you know most fatal poisonings occur among adults, especially older adults?

Across the United States, poison control centers handle 1 call every 13 seconds and answer more than 2.6 million calls yearly. To prevent these poisonings from happening to you or a loved one, parents, teachers, nurses, and everyone in the community should take measures to ensure that unintentional poisonings are being prevented. A few ways to prevent a poisoning from happening include placing household chemicals out of the reach of children, storing items in their original containers to avoid confusion, and reading product labels, including the recommended dosages on all products. Older adults should take special precautions to understand medication safety.

To learn more about ways to help prevent poisoning, visit the Poison Help website at www.PoisonHelp.hrsa.gov. Poison prevention is the key to safer, healthier lives.

In case of an emergency, individuals should contact their local poison control center by calling the toll-free Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222.

For the above reasons, we ask all employees of the Delta Companies Inc. and its various subsidiaries to join us in commemorating March 21 – 27, 2021 as National Poison Prevention Week.

About HRSA and the Poison Help Campaign

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which through the Poison Help campaign provides funding to improve poison control centers and develops programs to support the enhancement and improvement of poison education, prevention, and treatment. HRSA funds the toll-free Poison Help line and Poison Help website, www.PoisonHelp.hrsa.gov.