National Poison Prevention Week, 2011

Proclamation 8638 of March 18, 2011

National Poison Prevention Week, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each day, emergency rooms treat nearly 2,000 Americans
for accidental poisonings, and dozens die as a result
of ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise exposing
themselves to poisonous substances. In many cases,
these tragic incidents are preventable. During National
Poison Prevention Week, I encourage all Americans to
identify possible dangers in the home, take action to
address poisoning hazards, and learn how to respond if
a poison emergency should occur.

Children are particularly susceptible to unintentional
poisoning. More than half of all reported poison
exposures involve children under the age of six, and
many occur when unsupervised children find and consume
medicines or harmful chemicals. Unintentional
poisonings among young people often occur when misusing
or abusing prescription medications such as pain
killers, sedatives, and stimulants taken from a home
medicine cabinet. Parents and caregivers can help
prevent these injuries by taking simple steps to secure
medications and other dangerous materials including
resealing child-resistant containers, placing drugs and
toxic chemicals out of reach of children, and storing
all these products in locked or childproof cabinets.

Sadly, death rates from unintentional poisonings have
increased steadily in recent years. Many adult
poisonings stem from accidental or intentional exposure
to over-the-counter or prescription drugs. These can be
avoided by reading labels before taking medications,
storing medicines in their original containers, and
safely disposing of unused prescription medication.
These actions can reduce the risk posed by medications
with abuse potential. All Americans can help prevent
needless harm from hazardous materials by becoming more
aware of the dangers of poisonings and the ways we can
prevent and respond to these incidents.

In the event of an accidental poisoning, quick action
can prevent serious injury and save lives. If
confronted with a suspected poisoning, individuals
should call the national poison control hotline at 1-
800-222-1222. I encourage families to post this number
near their home telephone, which connects callers to
potentially life-saving information at local and
regional poison control centers 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.

To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers
of accidental poisonings and to take appropriate
preventive measures, the Congress, by joint resolution
approved September 26, 1961, as amended (75 Stat. 681),
has authorized and requested the President to issue a
proclamation designating the third week of March each
year as ``National Poison Prevention Week.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 20
through March 26, 2011, as ``National Poison Prevention
Week.'' I call upon all Americans to observe this week
by taking actions to protect their families from
hazardous household materials and from misuse of
prescription medications.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.