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Dear Partners,
We’re recognizing the upcoming National Poison Prevention Week (March 15–21, 2026) by highlighting practical steps that help prevent poisonings and connect families to expert support when an exposure happens. Poisoning is the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in infants, children, and adolescents.1 As new products become more common in homes, communities need clear, consistent prevention messages that reduce access to hazards and support rapid response.
This month, strengthen your outreach by reinforcing safe storage and supervision in every setting where young children spend time, and keeping medications, cleaners, chemicals, and other hazardous products locked, out of sight, and out of reach. Button batteries also merit special attention because they are found in many household items and can cause severe internal injuries if swallowed. If a button battery is missing or ingestion is suspected, treat it as an emergency and contact the National Battery Ingestion Hotline (800-498-8666) or the Poison Help Line (800-222-1222) right away.
We also encourage addressing emerging risks that may not be on every caregiver’s radar. Expanding water beads and other water-absorbing “growing” products can look like candy, but they can enlarge after ingestion and cause serious internal injury. Nicotine pouches are another growing concern. FDA guidance underscores the importance of keeping nicotine products in their original, closed packaging and storing them up high, out of reach, preferably locked, to prevent accidental exposure among children and pets.
Before closing, we want to underscore the value of Poison Control Centers as both a public health resource and a cost-saving service. A newly released impact report from America’s Poison Centers, based on an independent RAND evaluation, estimates that U.S. Poison Centers save $3.1 billion each year and that every $1 invested returns about $16.77 in societal benefits.
One simple action to include in every campaign is to encourage caregivers and partners to save the Poison Help number in their phones: 1-800-222-1222.
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