At the height of summer, poison centers around the country average one-thousand more phone calls a day than in January. The center in Iowa has an increase in calls during spring and summer months as well. Tammy Noble is the education coordinator for the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center. The Statewide control center is always open and has found summer to have a greater call volume than other parts of the year –the trend continues nationally. Noble says many plants are poisonous and there are just more during the summer than in the winter — she sites garden plants and poisonous mushrooms as examples. Children that’re now home from school and the increase in insects also contributes to the rise in calls. Noble says that with the increased bugbites in the summer there is also an increase in pesticide and chemical use. This summer parents should remember to keep medicine out of kids reach when on vacation, and educate children about hazardous summer plants and animals. Also — The Iowa Poison Control Center is one of few nationwide that still takes calls concerning pets and animals health. Noble recommends that parents prepare and have the poison control number available in case of an emergency. The center has materials and stickers with information available that you can keep handy. The center can be reached 24-hours a day seven-days a week at 1-800-222-1222.
