Poison Prevention
by Betty Mitchell RN BSN
Parish Nurse, Emmanuel Bethel Church, Royal Oak, Michigan
As your church strives to have healthy discipleship occurring among its members, it is important not to neglect the physical body while we are nurturing the mind and spirit through discipleship.
What better and safer place is there to come than to church, being able to share not only our spiritual and emotional concerns, but also our physical concerns? Not every church may have a Health Ministry, but there are good resources available for reliable health information. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Association of Poison Control Centers are two examples. Having just recognized March as poison prevention month, it seems appropriate to share some pertinent information.
Protecting the children we love from harm is a concern. Many items in our homes have warning labels, and we are aware of the need to keep them out of a child’s reach. However, there are many items without warning labels in our homes that are harmful for curious children.
One way to help protect children would be to keep all medicines (including herbals) and toxic products, in their original containers and in a safe place that can only be reached by someone who takes or gives the medicine to a child.
Walk through each room of your home to determine what harmful items a child could reach and put in their mouth. Some examples of what to look for are oven cleaners, alcohol containers, medicines, nail products, mouthwash, pesticides and lamp oil.
Remember, too, not all plants in our homes or yards are safe for a child to put in their mouth.
Have the national poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-1222 on or near every phone in your home and programmed into your cell phone. The phone line can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The poison control center will answer questions related to child or adult poisoning.
Call poison control if you have any concern about what the child or adult has ingested, even if they are awake and alert. Call 911 if there is a poison emergency and the child or adult has collapsed or is not breathing. The sooner medical care is started the better the outcome.
Always follow label directions for any medication you or your child takes and be aware of the warnings.
Once you or your child has completed taking a medication, properly dispose of unused, unneeded or expired prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements. See if your pharmacy takes them back to dispose of them or knows of a local agency that does.. If they don’t, place discarded medications in used coffee grounds or kitty litter and throw away.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/preventiontips.htm
Let me dwell in thy tent for ever! Oh to be safe under the shelter of thy wings! (Psalm 61:4)
