A poison is something that makes you sick or hurts you if you eat, drink, touch or smell it. Poisons can be solid (such as pills or batteries), liquid (such as cleaning products or lamp oil), sprays (such as spray cleaners) and gases (such as carbon monoxide, or CO). Poisons come in all shapes and sizes.

To help describe important information on poisonings and poison prevention, this section of the site details:

Poisoning Risks
Common Poisonings

Poisoning Risks
When dealing with poison prevention, it's important to be able to identify poisoning risks. Visit the Communication Tools section to see the Frequently Asked Questions about Poisonings tip sheet and the Facts about Poisonings and Poisoning Safety tip sheet. These tip sheets outline important poisoning risks and also give details on common misconceptions about poisonings. Both of these tip sheets are downloadable and printable to be used in a variety of settings. And remember, if you have a question, call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222).


Common Poisonings
There are some basic, common poisoning risks to be aware of, including:

• cleaning products
• vitamins and food supplements, like minerals and herbs
• medicines
• cigarettes and cigarette butts
• beauty products, perfumes, and nail polish removers
• carbon monoxide gas (CO) (usually from cars and heating devices)
• insect sprays, weed killers, and plant food
• liquids used in cars (such as antifreeze, wiper fluid, and motor oil)
• paint and paint-removal products
• plants in the house and yard
• animal bites and stings

It's important to know the common poisons out there, but also to be aware of the less common risks. For information on poisonings throughout the year, you can download the Poison Help seasonal tip sheets in the Communication Tools section. Here, you'll find tip sheets for Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer and the holiday season.

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