Poison Prevention Resources
Keep medications out of curious hands
Medications are a leading cause of accidental poisoning among children. To a child, the colors and shapes of medicine may look like candy. Medication safety starts with prevention. We'll help you get started with a FREE medication lock box.
Medications accounted for 21,100 unintentional pediatric poisonings treated in emergency rooms in 2023, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Preventing accidental poisoning in your home begins with awareness and proactive measures. We invite you to:
- Explore ways to store household chemicals, medications, and cleaning products out of reach of children.
- Find resources to help educate your family members, especially children, about the dangers of ingesting or mishandling these substances. Additionally, Learn ways to ensure proper ventilation in enclosed spaces to prevent accidental poisoning from gases and taking.
- Discover important steps to eliminate or mitigate risks to keep your family safe from accidental poisoning. Of course, you'll also find information on what to do in case of a poisoning incident.
Do you have a poison emergency?
Contact Poison Control right away if you suspect a poisoning. Help is available online with web POISON CONTROL®or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free, expert, and confidential.
What to know about poison prevention
- Childproofing and preventing household accidents | Cook Children's
- Childproofing your home from poisons | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Emergency care and first aid center | Cook Children's
- First aid: poisoning | Cook Children's
- First-aid kit | Cook Children's
- Household safety checklists | Cook Children's
- Learn CPR | Cook Children's
- Poison control center | National Poison Control Center
- Poison prevention | Cook Children's Center for Community Health
- Poison prevention and treatment tips | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Poison prevention: one pill can kill | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Preventing poisoning | Cook Children's
- What you need to know in an emergency | Cook Children's
- Cough and cold medicine abuse | Cook Children's
- Ear poisoning (ototoxicity) | Cook Children's
- Fentanyl What to Know | Cook Children's
- Getting rid of old medicines | Cook Children's
- How to safely store and dispose of medicines | Cook Children's
- Medication or Candy | Cook Children's
- Medication safety | Cook Children's
- Medication storage | Cook Children's
- Medicines: using them safely | Cook Children's
- Prescription drug abuse | Cook Children's
- What medicines are and what they do | Cook Children's
- Button battery injuries in children: a growing risk | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Button battery safety | Cook Children's
- Face paints and makeup – how to avoid toxic ingredients | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Food poisoning | Cook Children's
- Hand sanitizers: protect children from poisoning risk | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Laundry room and detergent safety | American Academy of Pediatrics
- Liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes can kill children | American Academy of Pediatrics
- What can parents do about heavy metals in baby food? | Cook Children's
- Avoiding lead exposure during pregnancy | Cook Children's
- Blood test: lead | Cook Children's
- Health Effects of Lead Exposure | CDC
- Lead poisoning | Cook Children's
- Lead Poisoning Prevention | CDC
- Populations at Higher risk of lead poisoning | CDC
- Sources of Lead | CDC
- What if my child was exposed to lead at school or daycare? | Cook Children's
Need help finding information?
Finding health information you can trust can be confusing and overwhelming. Let us help. A Cook Children's librarian can send you up to date information from reliable sources.