Posted: 9:41 AM Mar 20, 2012
Reporter: Sara Shookman

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Just about anything can be poison if you take enough of it. And this week's 50th Annual National Poison Prevention Week aims to help you make your home safe.

"That includes household cleaners, cosmetics, medications," said Dr. Peter Chyka.

UT College of Pharmacy Professor Dr. Chyka says National Poison Prevention Week helps raise awareness about the dangers of products in your home.

"They can't distinguish a tablet from candy because so often it looks about the same," he said.

"It doesn't take long for something like that to happen. Something very simple that you don't think of as poison, that you use everyday," said Kay Southern, who is careful about putting up products and taking unused medicines to drug take back locations.

But keeping chemicals and pills put away isn't just a challenge for parents.

In fact, in 50 years, the number of childhood poisoning deaths has dropped dramatically with help from improved products and medical care.

But there's a new danger: "Now we have about 100 poisoning deaths from drugs that occur each day in the U.S.," said Chyka.

While you might not think of prescription drugs use and accidental overdose as poisoning, "taking more than your body can tolerate, that's really what poisoning is," said Chyka. "It's taking too large of an amount, wrong combinations of things at one time, and producing dangerous effects."

And anyone can be at risk. "Babies, senior citizens and everyone in between."

To protect yourself, ask for help if you have difficulty reading or understanding your medications and any possible interactions.

Also use safety caps on medications. Chyka says think of the caps as a signal that a medicine has special poisoning danger and needs to be stored properly.

Be sure you know where to call to get Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

WVLT Mobile Web Home

Gray Television, Inc - Copyright 2002-2012 - Powered by Gray Interactive Media

Full Site - Contact Us