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Poison Prevention

Alert

Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and the victim has collapsed and/or is not breathing!

Call the Poison Help Number @ 800-222-1222 if the victim is awake and alert

More than 4 million calls are made to poison control centers every year in the United States - almost 50% of those calls are regarding children under 6 years old.

What To Do If a Poisoning Occurs

  1. Remain calm!
  2. Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and the victim has collapsed and/or is not breathing
  3. Call 800-222-1222 if the victim is awake and alert
  4. Have this information ready if possible:
    • The victim's age and weight
    • The container or bottle of the poison if available
    • The time of the poison exposure
    • The address where the poisoning occurred
  5. Stay on the phone and follow the instructions from the emergency operator or poison control center

General Tips

  • Install a carbon monoxide detector and change batteries at least every 6 months
  • Create a contact for Poison Control (800-222-1222) in parent, grandparent, babysitting, sibling, etc. cellphones
  • Teach children to ask an adult before eating, drinking, or touching anything
  • Keep all batteries out of children's reach
  • Keep magnetic toys and other magnetic items away from small children
  • Know the name of all household plants in your home and yard; remove any poisonous plants
  • Keep all medications, household cleaning products, and pesticides away from both children and pets

Poison Prevention Infographic

Additional Resources

Iowa Poison Control Center