It can happen so fast! A poison can get into your system and you can get deathly ill or even die. You can be a little child, or a grown adult. Poisoning can happen to anyone.

Poisons are substances that, if inhaled, ingested, absorbed or injected can harm the structures or functions of our body. Some types of poisons may act immediately and others may act more slowly. Some poisons, such as cyanide, are so toxic that only a minute amount can be harmful. Others, such as garden sprays and lead, are cumulative and require exposure over a long period to achieve the same toxicity. Many substances can be carcinogenic and could cause fatal tumors some years after exposure.

Food Poisoning

Today, because of the tremendous growth in our food supply, we are finding a huge rise in food-borne illness due to harmful substances in our food supply. A great deal of our food today comes from outside the United States, where standards and sanitary conditions are very different. We used to buy our meat at the local butcher, the poultry from the poultry farmer, the vegetables we would raise in our own gardens, and the fruits we would buy only when they were in season. Today's consumers want strawberries and blueberries year round, their meat and poultry comes from the local supermarket, and the conditions under which many of these products are produced can vary tremendously, especially if they are raised or produced outside the United States.

What does this mean to the consumer? You must be much more safety concerned. You need to thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables before you eat them. You also need to thoroughly wash off the tops of any canned soft drinks or foods before you open them. Be sure that your kitchen is clean, and that all counters are disinfected, and utensils are thoroughly washed before you use them. All meats, poultry and fish should be thoroughly cooked before you eat them, as there may be a potential that a toxic substance could be on these items that could be very injurious to your health if not cooked thoroughly. Always use a meat thermometer so that you know that you are cooking the product to the proper temperature.

But, you must remember that the Food and Drug Administration does not inspect food production facilities but about once every 10 years, whereas meat and poultry are under continuous inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture.

So the responsibility for your safety is up to you. Most of us are now beginning to realize that we must wash our fruits and vegetables. But please remember to wash the top of that canned soft drink before you drink it and also wash off the tops of all canned goods and boxes before you open them. Do not be a victim of a potential lethal food poisoning!

Child-proofing from Poisonous Substances

If you have little children in your home, please sure that you lock all of your cabinets that have any poisonous substances in them. You would be amazed how quickly little ones can get into the cabinets where your household cleansers are -- or into your medicine chest.

All medicines should have child-resistant closures on them. I know sometimes they are very difficult to open, but the child-resistant closure is worth it, because they have saved thousands of childhood poisonings. So often medicines look like candy and taste like candy, but to the little child it could be a fatal disaster if they ever got into your medicine.

If your child should eat or drink a substance that might be a poison, call your local Poison Control Center immediately. The phone number can be found on the inside cover of the yellow or white pages of your telephone directory. If you are not sure whether the child got into a poisonous substance, always err on the side of caution. Some products that are poisonous do not show immediate symptoms, so call your local poison center, your emergency room or your doctor immediately. Remain calm, and watch the victim very closely. To avoid panic, it is best to have your emergency numbers posted on the phone, so that you do not have to look them up.

If you do not have small children in your home, you should still use child-resistant closures, because you never know when a little child might visit. It could just be that one time someone is visiting you that could be a tragedy. If you are a grandparent, be extremely careful when the little grandchildren are visiting. Be sure you use the same careful procedures that the parents use in their homes. Always remember when you are visiting your grandchildren that all of your medicines MUST be in child-resistant closures.

Be careful also of all pesticides. Keep them out of a child's reach, in a locked cabinet or in a garden shed. Never leave them unattended when you are using them, not even for a few minutes. Alert others to the potential hazard, especially grandparents and caregivers.

Remember the life you safe might be that of your child or a loved one. May you keep your house safe from poisons.

[ Nancy Harvey Steorts | Check Out Our Message Boards |
Back to Experts' Advice | Ask A Question ]