Keeping Children Safe

Injuries to children are tragic – but with a little knowledge and preparation, adults can help prevent them. One key danger to small children is accidental poisoning. If you have small children in your house, either because you’re a new parent or because your friends or family members have small children who may visit, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends the following steps to help keep youngsters safe:

• Know which household products are poisonous, and buy child-resistant packaging
• Keep poisons and household chemicals locked out of sight and out of reach, and always store them in their original containers so they can’t be mistaken for something else
• Throw away old medicines, and check your garage, basement and other storage areas for cleaning supplies and
  chemicals that you no longer need
• Know what plants in and around your home are poisonous
• If your home was built before 1978, have it tested for leadbased paint
• Post the national toll-free poison hotline number at every telephone: 1-800-222- 1222. Keep activated charcoal on hand, but use it only on the advice of a poison control center or health care professional.

For more information and safety tips, including a list
of poisonous household plants, contact:
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
website: www.safekids.org
(202) 662-0600