Warm Weather Woes

The passing of Mother’s Day often marks the beginning of the outdoor season for many West Virginians. People are anxious to get outside to work on their homes and gardens, or host outdoor celebrations. Unfortunately, the warmer weather brings a new round of seasonal poison hazards. The West Virginia Poison Center offers the following tips to help stay poison safe.
Outdoor Cleaning: Keep all cleaning products in their original, labeled containers. Never mix cleaning products. When mixed, products can produce toxic fumes.  Do not leave cleaning products unattended, especially around children or pets.
Lawn and Garden: Know the name of all plants around the home. If a plant name is not known, check with a local greenhouse or florist for help with identification.
Check with the West Virginia Poison Center to find out if a plant is poisonous. If there are poisonous plants around the home, consider removing the poisonous plants and replacing them with non-toxic plants.
Do not assume plants, berries, or mushrooms are safe because birds or wildlife eat them. Teach children never to put any part of a plant, berry, or mushroom in their mouth unless it has been identified as non-toxic. Always keep lawn chemicals in their original, labeled containers. Follow all directions for proper use of lawn chemicals.
Outdoor Celebrations: Store lighter fluid and lamp oil in original containers, out of reach of children. Lamp oil can look like apple juice and is often sold in containers that look like juice containers. To prevent accidental poisonings, do not use drinking cups to transfer lighter fluid or lamp oil. To avoid food poisoning, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Keep alcoholic drinks out of reach of children and pets.
Poisoned? Not Sure? Call the medical experts at the West Virginia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. Save the number in your cell phone to have available wherever the warmer weather may take you.