By Eric Guevin

We Participate in National Poison Prevention Week so we can celebrate the lives saved by prevention. In just the past year, America’s 57 poison control centers fielded 4 million calls, treating 2.4 million human poison exposures and handling 1.6 million information calls.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District hopes to bring people together in commemoration of National Poison Prevention Week, to ultimately mitigate the number of people who are involved in poisonings each year, especially poisonings in the home — the most commonly reported poisonings.

By educating local residents about preventative steps in the home and in their lives, I believe we can make serious progress in keeping our loved ones safe. It is vital that people arm themselves with basic information on poison prevention in the home, such as keeping chemicals out of the reach of children and carefully reading the labels and dosages on all products.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, approximately 90 percent of poisonings happen at home, and 51 percent of poisonings involve children under the age of 6. The majority of fatal poisonings occur among adults, especially older adults.

National Poison Prevention Week was established by the U.S. Congress in 1961 to focus national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. To learn more about ways to keep people of all ages safe and help prevent poisonings, visit the Poison Help website.

In case of a poison emergency, contact your local poison center at 800.222.1222.

Eric Guevin is Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District fire marshal.