Candi Amundson, CVT
Senior Veterinary Information Specialist
On September 26, 1961, the 87th United States Congress passed a joint resolution (Public Law 87-319) requesting that the President of the United States proclaim the third week of March National Poison Prevention Week. On February 7, 1962, President John F. Kennedy responded to this request and proclaimed the third week of March as National Poison Prevention Week. The first National Poison Prevention Week was therefore observed in March 1962. The National Poisoning Prevention Council is the official sponsor of National Poison Prevention Week March: 18-24, 2018. We have all heard the famous quote by Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Not all situations can be prevented, however making a conscious effort to minimize access and practice safe habits can go a long way! How does an animal poison control center celebrate poison prevention week?
Education!
Contact Pet Poison Helpline® via www.petpoisonhelpline.com to view our video series “Paws on Safety,” request free static clings, downloads for household prevention or ‘No Lilies for Kitties!’ educational campaign, and signup for our electronic newsletters and handouts. Share your knowledge with others! Get the word out that you just learned of a new toxin and heard of a cool tip to prevent it from happening. Share the information with friends, co-workers, and even during social gatherings. Be prepared for poisoning emergencies by saving Pet Poison Helpline® in your phone today, 1-800-213-6680! At Pet Poison Helpline® we work 24/7 365 days a year to help assist with treatment and advocate for poison prevention, but we do especially like March because we recognize such an important topic! Check out our video series “Paws on Safety” here: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/basics/paws-on-safety-one-minute-pet-clinic-videos/
Community
Get involved! The National Poisoning Prevention Council suggests joining the conversation online using the hashtags #NPPW18, #PreventPoison, or #PoisonHelp. Show your friends and neighbors how you take steps to prevent poisonings from happening. Share any local poison control center campaigns in your area. If you don’t know of any you can certainly share our ‘No Lilies for Kitties!’ campaign here: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/veterinarians/free-resources-clinic-clients/no-lilies-for-kitties/
Share your poison control telephone numbers with your friends and family and be aware of the “Top Ten” poisons/toxins and develop a plan for prevention. https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/8780/
As always raise awareness about unintentional poisoning and talk about tips on prevention. Now is a good time to start! Hope to see your ideas and tips for Poison Prevention week 2018! https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/uncategorized/poison-prevention-week-2016-free-resources-pph/
References:
http://www.aapcc.org/prevention/nppw/
http://poisonprevention.org/Poison-Prevention-Week
