March 19-25 is Poison Prevention Week

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Raising awareness of health risks is vital and this week marks National Poison Prevention Week.

Last Friday, the White House distributed a press release announcing the proclamation imploring the importance.

This week is an opportunity to illuminate the dangers of poisoning for people of all ages and what can be done to keep your family safe.

“Poison is any substance that can cause harm to your body, so any kind of chemical household product … medicine, plants, alcohol,” said nurse Stacy Skidmore of the Cape County Public Health Department. 

The many different poisons also produce different effects on how will it can impact a person.

“They can look and present normal like have no very variations to their behavior at all or they can be drowsy and sometimes confused,” said Skidmore.

Some different forms of poison are household chemicals such as but not limited to laundry detergent, cleansers and cleaners.

Skidmore says batteries for children are bad news.

“Children like to their explore the environment they’re in and they’ll get into trouble quickly if the harmful substances are not kept out of their reach. And elderly are prone to accidental medication overdoses because they sometimes forget that they already took their medication,” she said.