Fourth of July

Poison Prevention Tips

  • Remind children not to chew on glow sticks. They contain an oily liquid (dibutyl phthalate). It’s a mild irritant. If it gets on the skin or in the mouth, rinse it off immediately. Call poison control if anything more than mild skin or mouth irritation develops. 
  • Broken light stick splashed in the eye?
    • It’s important that you irrigate (rinse) the exposed eyes immediately.  Every second matters. A delay could result in loss of sight. Remove contact lenses. Use lots of room temperature water and irrigate for at least 15 to 20 minutes. More instructions…
  • Keep the alcoholic drinks away from children! Alcohol causes a child’s blood sugar to drop, leading to seizures, coma and even death. Clean up drinks and cigarette butts right after the party; don’t leave them for the kids to find the next morning.
  • Picnic safety: Keep cold foods cold, in a cooler and in the shade. Do not consume perishable foods that have been left out for more than two hours – or more than one hour if the ambient temperature is over 90 °F.
  • Topical pain relievers for sunburn often contain anesthetics that can cause seizures - agents such as benzocaine, dibucaine or lidocaine. Make sure they are in child resistant containers and kept out of reach of small children.
  • Foraging in the woods?  Camping out? Don’t eat it unless you are certain you know that plant! Plant look-alikes can fool the best of us. For example, wild carrots or parsnips resemble hemlock.

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