Poison Prevention
Purpose
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is partnering with the Florida Poison Information Center-Miami to educate students about poison prevention and to inform them on procedures to take in case of poisoning.
What Is Poison?
A poison is any substance that can cause enough damage (through chemical action) to impair health or destroy life. A poison can be a liquid, solid, or gaseous substance. Poison can be harmful if swallowed, inhaled, injected or absorbed through the skin.
FACTS
Ninety-two percent of all poisonings happen at home. Most unintentional poisonings involve children younger than 6. The household products implicated in most poisonings are cleaning solutions, fuels, medicines and other common products like glue and cosmetics. About 6% of all calls to poison control centers are about pet poisonings. Certain animals secrete a poison called venom, usually injected with a bite or sting. Some household plants (like philodendron) are poisonous to humans and animals.
What We Teach
- Poison safety in the home
- Poison plants and snakes found in Florida
- Poisons that look like common household items (poison display with look-alike products)
- Other poison safety issues
What We Provide
Each child is sent home with a packet containing:
- Common Poisonous Plants of Florida sheet
- Venomous Snakes of Florida sheet
- Poison Prevention activity book
- Seasonal Poisoning Hazards brochure
- Poison Prevention guide
- Telephone peel-off stickers
- Poison Patrol checklist
Details of the Program
- Target Grades: 4th thru 12th
- Length of Program: 45-60 Minutes
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital partners with Florida Poison Information Center – Miami to provide this program.
Contact Us
Our Partners in Education Programs are coordinated by Memorial Community Relations. Please call 954-276-1250 for more information or complete this form to request a program.
