AAPCC Celebrates 50th Annual Poison Prevention Week

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week. Starting March 18, the AAPCC will join local poison centers and prevention partners across the country to focus the public’s attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. America’s 57 poison centers respond to calls 24/7 in order to help those who have been exposed to toxic substances, and are committed to providing information about how poisonings occur and ways to prevent them. In 2010, U.S. poison centers answered more than 3.9 million calls, including nearly 2.4 million calls about human exposures to poisons, according to Debbie Carr, AAPCC executive director. About 71% of the people who called with poison emergencies were treated at home following the advice of poison center experts, saving millions of dollars in medical expenses. The AAPCC advises everyone to program the Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222. For more information on National Poison Prevention Week, click here.