Today marks the start of Poison Prevention Week, and the Iowa Poison Control Center is reminding Iowans their medical experts are always at the ready.
Grant Houselog is spokesman for the Sioux City-based center, which is raising awareness of poisonings in the home, the workplace, and everywhere else.
“Just knowing that a poison center is available, 24-7 and 365,” Houselog says. “It is a free call to you. You can call us anytime, day or night, if you have a poisoning question, a poisoning emergency, medications, cleaning products, bites, stings, things like that.”
As we transition from winter to spring, Iowans may have new chemicals in their garages or kitchens which curious kids may want to taste, so either lock those chemicals up or put them in a place that’s out of reach.
“In 2022, the United States poison centers responded to nearly two-and-a-half-million poisoning exposures, poisoning cases,” Houselog says, “that’s an average of a new case about every 15 seconds.”
Iowans can reach the poison center anytime at 1-800-222-1222 or online at www.iowapoison.org.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)