This is National Poison Prevention Week, and the EPA is using the occasion to remind parents to secure pesticides and other household chemicals in locked cabinets out of the reach of children.

Each year, approximately 65,000 children ages 5 and younger are accidentally exposed to pesticides, and more than 10,000 of those exposures involve mouse and rat poisons. More than 90 percent of poisonings happen in people’s homes.

The EPA’s James Jones said simple steps can keep kids safe:

• Always store pesticides and other household chemical products in a locked cabinet.
• To protect children and pets from exposure to mouse and rat poison, use products with a tamper-resistant bait station.
• Go through your home room by room to see where there are potential poisoning hazards and correct accordingly.
• Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container tightly after use.
• Never transfer pesticides and other household chemical products to containers that may be mistaken for food or drink.
• Program the Poison Help Center number, 1-800-222-1222, in your phone.

The EPA recently banned the sale of 12 D-Con mouse and rat poison products produced by Reckitt Benckiser Inc. and instituted news safety standards requiring consumer use mouse and rat poison products to include a protective tamper-resistant bait station.  

Click here for poison prevention tips and resources to protect your family.
Click here for a room by room checklist for potential poisoning hazards.
Click here for a list of rat and mouse products that meet the EPA’s safety standards.