These accidents are often the result of two factors--

1.Children are curious and will eat or drink almost anything--even if it doesn't taste good.

2.Adults are not careful how they store and handle potentially dangerous household products and medicines.

Poisonings can happen anywhere but most often occur in the kitchen or bathroom, even when a parent is in the room, and in a bedroom where pills are left on a bedside table. And they can happen at any time, especially near mealtimes, and when the family's normal routine changes--vacations, moving, illness, etc.

What you can do to protect your family

Medicines

• Use only child-resistant covers.
• Keep locked in cabinets.
• Return to safe storage immediately after use.
• Always measure doses, don't guess.
• Never tell children medicine is candy.
• Keep all purses out of your child's reach. They may contain medicine or other items that could harm a child.
• Get rid of out-dated medicines.
• Flush them down the toilet.
• Rinse the container thoroughly.

Household Products

• Select products with child-resistant covers.
• Keep locked in cabinets.
• Return to safe storage immediately after use.
• Store household products and food in separate areas.
• Keep products in original containers.
• Don't store products in food or drink containers.
• Don't turn your back on a child when a product is within reach. If the telephone or doorbell rings, take your child with you.

Plants

• Know the names of all the plants in your home and yard.
• Know which ones are poisonous.
• Keep all plants out of the reach of small children.
• Teach children not to put any part of a plant in their mouth.
• Lock them up or throw them away

In the kitchen:

• Ammonia
• Carpet and upholstery cleaners
• Cleaning fluids
• Cleansers and souring powders
• Drain cleaners
• Furniture polish
• Metal cleaners
• Oven cleaners
• Powder and liquid detergents
• Rust removers
• Vitamins

In the bedroom:

• Cologne/perfume
• Cosmetics
• Chemotherapy medications
• Other medications

In the bathroom:

• Aftershave
• Bath oil
• Deodorant
• Hair dyes
• Hair remover
• Nail polish and remover
• Permanent wave solutions
• Room deodorizer
• Rubbing alcohol
• Shampoos
• Shaving lotions
• Toilet bowl cleaners

In the laundry room:

• Bleach
• Bluing, dyes
• Disinfectants
• Powder or liquid detergents
• Stain removers

Miscellaneous:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Cigarettes
• Cigarette lighters
• Moth balls and sprays
• Rat, mouse, and ant poison
• Batteries
• Flaking or dried lead-based paint

In the garage/workshop:

• Antifreeze
• Arts and crafts supplies
• Adhesives/glue
• Fertilizer
• Gasoline and oil
• Kerosene
• Lighter fluid
• Lime, cement, mortar
• Paint, remover, and thinner
• Pesticides/garden sprays
• Turpentine
• Windshield cleaner

Disposal of toxic household products

• Medications can be flushed down the toilet.
• Certain household products can be poured down the drain and diluted with lots of water.
• Contact your health department or local landfill to determine which products may safely be put out with the trash and which products demand proper disposal methods.

Additional information resources;

Home Economics Answering line

Food safety and handling

800-262-3804

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Waste Management division

515-0281-8941

Iowa Department of Public Health

Lead removal

800-972-2026

Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center

800-352-2222

(The Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center is a public service provided jointly by University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, and St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, Sioux City.)