European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 01, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday May 1, 1978 the Star s and stripes Page 19 modern living Poison proofing your Home by Jane e. Brod new York times i was Only 8 when my grandmother who could no tread English mixed up the two Blue bottles of milk fluid in the pantry and took two Teaspoons of clean ing fluid instead of milk of magnesia. The horror of that moment and its aftermath despite her uneventful recovery left me with a pronounced fear of accidental poisoning. When my own children were born my husband and systematically Poison proofed our Home. Cupboards were arranged with poisons in the Back of shelves out of ready reach of a Quick moving toddler when the doors were opened. And on every cupboard that enclosed a potentially lethal substance including the pantry with its soy sauce Salt cooking Sherry and what have you an liquor Cabinet Medicine Chest housecleaning bin Gar Dening shed and laundry room we installed a child proof lock that no preschooler in my experience has yet been Able to open. But Ai careful As we were our to year old was among the More than 500,00 children accidentally poisoned each year. He drank Medicine that had just been purchased an was still in its bag among the groceries instead of safely locked in the Medicine Chest. Fortunately he decided twas Yukky before he did real damage. But other Chil Dren have been less fortunate. Three year old Susie had to be rushed to the Hospital after she fed herself and her doll party soda from a pop bottle she found under the sink not knowing that the orig Inal contents bad been replaced by turpentine. A one year old girl spent nine Days in the Hospital after Swal lowing charcoal lighter that her family had left in the  Peter grabbed a Fin Gerful of detergent from the dishwasher severely burned his Mouth an nearly died when the resulting swelling Cut off Bis air passages. An 18-month-old boy died after drinking floor cleaner containing a Petroleum distillate and another succumbed after being Given a spoonful of Mineral Oil from a bottle that had been refilled with Carbon tetrachloride. Let s review Bow Well Yon and your children Are protected from being injured by the Quarter of a Mil lion potentially poisonous household Kerns on to Market drags vitamins cleaning agents pesticides Petroleum products polishes paints and even perfumes Are on the Long lethal list. To protect your family against poisoning you need to know where potential hazards Lurk and now to treat these substances with the care they require you must arrange the household where three fourths of poisonings occur in such a Way As to minimize the risk of accidental poisoning by Young and old and you must know what to do if despite your efforts a poisoning Accident should occur. If Small children live in your House or visit you these precautions Are essential store All household cleaning materials from bleach to bowl cleaner out of reach of Small children definitely not under the sink in a locked closet. Do the Sam for toxic substances kept in the garage and basement. When using substances that can produce hazardous fumes such As oven or Drain cleaner cleaning fluid paint or paint remover be sure that no children Are around and that one or More windows Are opened wide. Always read instructions and warnings on the Label before using such products. Keep All drugs vitamins birth control pills cosmetics and hair preparations in a nigh locked Cabinet. Never refer to Medicine As Candy or As being  Don t take drugs in front of Small children they Are great imitators especially of their , Small children will eat anything even if it does t taste Good. What to do in poisoning cases if exposed to immediate action secondary action poisonous Gat protect yourself from be ing overcome. Get victim into fresh air. If breath ing stopped give Mouth to Mouth resuscitation. Identify cause. Call pois on control Center Hospi Tal emergency room or physician. Substance in Eye flush thoroughly with identify cause. Call Poi gentle Stream of la son control Center hos Kwarm water for 15 Pital or physician for minutes holding eyelids further treatment apart. Ingested Poison it victim is conscious and not convulsing give one Glass of water to drink. Identify cause and Call Poison control enter Hospital or physician if possible giving details on substance amount ingested and victim s size age and symptoms. If induction of vomiting is recommended give Vic Tim one or two glasses of water then syrup of ipecac or gag victim. If Hospital treatment is recommended take whole Container of suspected Poison and vomits with you. Warning it is always Best to get medical advice before instituting first Aid for an ingested Poison. However if you cannot obtain such advice quickly and the victim is conscious and not convulsing give him water to drink. The induce vomiting unless a Strong acid or Alkali has been swallowed. Source based on information from he National Poison Center , a. Him York Tims be sure All drugs and hazardous household products Are packaged in child resistant containers. For the aged and handicapped one size of such products legally can be sold in Ordinary containers but they must be labelled not recommended for use in House holds with Young  child resistant incidentally does not mean child proof so Don t leave such containers around to tempt a youngster. He just May figure out How to open them. And be certain to keep the products in their child resistant containers and close them properly after each use securing the safety feature. 0 take care in discarding poisons. Flush leftover drug Down the toilet rinse the containers and then discard them. When discarding remains of hazardous House hold products be sure children have no Access to the garbage.0 never Transfer a hazardous substance out of its Origi Nal Container and Don t put such a substance in bottle or Jar that once held food drinks or Medicine. Be sure warning labels stay on the Container until the product is used up or discarded. Never leave Small children unattended around Haz ardous substance even for just a minute to answer the door or phone. If you Are interrupted while using hazardous substance take it with you. Be especially Alert during the Peak poisoning time the  hour Between 4 and 6 p.m., when children get hungry and Cranky and parents Are preoccupied preparing supper. When travelling Check out unfamiliar surroundings where a child May have Access to hazardous substances be is protected from at Home. Don t use Mothballs in your closets. Small children love to ferret around in dark places and pop round Bard things in their Mouths. Even if children never Cross the portals of your Home most of the above precautions can help protect your family and friends from accidental poisoning. In Addi Tion never store poisons in the same Cabinet with food items always follow directions on the Label Only us recommended amounts of drugs and cleaning agents Check the Label before taking any Medicine and Don take medicines prescribed for someone else or for a pre Vious illness without consulting a physician first. Know the signs that someone has been poisoned an open drug or chem Al Container stains on cloth ing odor on breath abnormal behaviour nausea excessive stimulation or drowsiness shallow or difficult breathing loss of consciousness convulsions dizziness and Burns on month or bands. Keep the number of your local Poison control Center nearest Hospital emergency room family physician and paediatrician next to your Telephone. Eighty five percent of poisoning accidents can be treated at Home so Don t make a frantic trip to the emergency room before calling your physician. In All cases of ingested poisons obtain medical advice if possible before treating the victim wit anything but a Glass of water. Have on hand a one ounce bottle of syrup of ipecac about $1 at most pharmacies Safe and effective Way to induce vomiting to be used Only after medical  not use Salt water to induce vomiting use a Blunt instrument like the Back of a spoon or your Finger also Only after medical advice to gag the victim if no ipecac is available. Do not induce vomiting if a corrosive substance Strong acid or Alkali like bowl and Orain cleaners Ammach Nia bleach and Strong detergents has been swallowed or if the victim is unconscious or having convulsions. Be sure to hold the victim s head Down when he vomits catch the vomits in a Basin and keep the contents for the  a bottle of activated charcoal used to pre vent absorption of some poisons. But Don t use burned Toast the Universal antidote for this purpose. Neither ipecac nor charcoal should be used without the advice Ofa Poison control Center Hospital or doctor. There Are no Pat roles for treating poisoning cases. Exactly what first a is desirable will depend of the Type of poisoning Bow much was ingested the victim s age she health status and your capabilities and knowledge. First Aid recommendations Are continually being re Vised on the basis of new findings. You cannot always depend on the advice Given on product labels since it May be outdated. There Are approximately 580 Poison control Center around the country with varying degrees of competence and service. About 90 million americans Are served bythe National Poison Center network with regional and satellite centers staffed 24 hours a Day and meeting specified standards. The network uses the bilious Green Symbol of or. Yukas an educational tool. To obtain or. Yuk stickers for la Beling household poisons Send a stamped self addressed envelope stating your Hometown to National Poison Center childrens Hospital of pit. Burgh 125 Desoto Street Pittsburgh a. 15213. The network has also prepared a Home advice Chart on poisoning and its treatment called danger lurks Avail Able by sending 25t to order department op-304, Amri can medical association 535 North Dearborn Street Chicago 111. 60610