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. Across the United States, poison control centers handle one 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 prevent unintentional poisonings. A few ways to prevent poisoning 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 poison prevention, please visit the New Jersey Poison Center website at https://www.njpies.org.

In an emergency, individuals should call the toll-free Poison Control Help Line at 1-800-222-1222.

Poison prevention is the key to safer, healthier lives.