Safety Week: Poison Control
On Awkward Conversations with Safety Ray, we address tactics to keep families safe in their homes and to prevent exposure to poisons. Advice ranges from medicine use to product storage.
About this video
Amanda Rubick, Community Outreach Coordinator and nurse at the Missouri Poison Center, discusses home poison safety with host Safety Ray. Key points covered:
- The Missouri Poison Center is a free, 24/7 hotline staffed by nurses and pharmacists trained in poisoning — call 1-800-222-1222.
- About 52% of poisoning calls involve children under 6. The most common exposures are cosmetics, personal care products, and medications.
- Store medications in a lock box, especially prescription pain relievers, blood pressure medications, and diabetes medications.
- Keep cleaning products and chemicals up high and out of reach, even while actively using them — step away and a child can get into them quickly.
- When calling the poison center, have the product name, child’s age and weight, how long ago it happened, and any symptoms ready.
- Leave the poison center number with babysitters. A babysitter checklist is available at missouripoisoncenter.org.
- Talk to children about not touching, tasting, or smelling unknown products. Mr. Yuk stickers are available through the poison center to mark dangerous items.
- To request a community outreach presentation, call the hotline and ask for the Education Department.