Top New Year’s Resolutions from the Texas Poison Center Network

With the new year upon us, now is the perfect time to make sure you and your family are prepared to prevent potential poisonings and keep your loved ones safe. The TPCN has compiled our top five resolutions for have a poison-free year! 

Check them out below:

1.    STAY INFORMED! Sign up for the TPCN Newsletter and the TPCN Blog- The newsletter comes only once a month to your email and it provides you with tips and tools regarding the time of year and any major timely poison related issues. The blog is bi-weekly and provides updates on newsworthy poison dangers. By receiving these and reading them, you can stay up-to-date on poison dangers and ensure you are keeping you and your loved ones healthy and safe.

2.    BE PREPARED! Save the Poison Help Number: If you do ever need to call poison control, it’s a smart idea to already have the number saved in your phone. In stressful situations it can sometimes be hard to remember numbers, so having the number saved in your phone will alleviate stress and help you get ahold of poison control quickly. Save it in your phone: 1-800-222-1222!

3.    PREVENT POISON! Clean Out Medications 

      and Other Potentially Dangerous Household Products: Now is a great time to clean out your medicine cabinet. Get rid of expired medications or any medications you no longer take or need. Once you have done that, make sure your medication is located up, away, & out of sight in a secured location. This keeps children out of medications and keeps your entire family safer.

Be sure to keep and store any household cleaners and other potential poisons in secure locations as well. These household items will also have expiration dates on them, so if they are expired, be sure to throw those away too!

4.    SHARE! Order a FREE Materials from the TPCN Website: On our website, you can order free magnets, brochures and other educational items. Make sure to at least order a magnet for your family and maybe a few extra to give to friends, neighbors or relatives to keep on their refrigerators, especially those with small children and those who are elderly. To order, visit www.poisoncontrol.org, click on “Order Materials” and input your zip code. Scroll down and you can see all the items you can order from us at no cost to help you stay informed and poison-free!

5.    TPCN Brochures: Download or order at least one of the poison control brochures to learn more about poisons from our website www.poisoncontrol.org. Brochure topics include:

·         Poison Prevention Guide

·         Bites and Stings

·         Poisonous Plants

·         Alcohol and Tobacco

·         Prescription Drug Epidemic

·         Synthetic Drugs