Assemblyman Tom Giblin Visits
NJ Poison Center

• PostEagle
• March 29, 2015
• Uncategorized
• 0 Comments

(Newark, NJ) – Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-34th Dist.) recently presented a Joint Legislative Resolution to Steven Marcus, MD, Medical and Executive Director of the NJ Poison Center in honor of this year’s National Poison Prevention Week. State officials join the NJ Poison Experts in recognizing the importance of prevention in keeping families safe from unintentional poisoning exposures.

“Everything from water to prescription and illegal drugs is potentially poisonous when not used appropriately, in the correct dosage, or by the right person,” said Dr. Marcus. Everyone is susceptible to injury and death from poisonings if proper precautions are not taken.

In photo: Assemblyman Tom Giblin and Dr. Steven Marcus

Two at-risk groups are young children (five years old and younger) and older adults (seniors). For young children, common mishaps occur with look-alike products. These potentially harmful products look like things that are safe to eat or drink. One example involves mistaking over-the-counter cold medication tablets with candies such as M&Ms and Skittles.

Exposures among young children typically account for more than 50 percent (%) of all calls received by the NJ Poison Center, matching statistics seen by other poison centers around the country.

Calls involving older adults are also on the rise due in part to the increasing number of prescriptions being written for America’s aging population. Causes stem from seniors misreading bottles and taking the wrong prescription, to interactions from multiple medications taken at the same time, to simply not wearing one’s eye glasses to ensure they can read the label. Older adults can request large-print labels on their prescription bottles from their pharmacies.

When the unthinkable happens, do you know who/where to call?

Fast, Free, Expert Medical Advice – Delivered Confidentially – Multilingual Capability – Available 24/7/365. “No matter the reason to call, the NJ Poison Center is here to help you,” said Marcus. “It is a good idea to program our number (1-800-222-1222) into your cell phone. Ask your friends and family to do the same.”

If you believe your child, pet, or anyone else has ingested something that could be harmful, call the NJ Poison Experts at 1-800-222-1222. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the poison center. A quick response by both the caller and the poison center expert can make a difference in preventing serious injury and saving lives. Every minute counts in poisoning situations so do not take chances by either waiting until symptoms occur or waste valuable time looking up information on the Internet.

Help is Just a Phone Call Away!

NJPIES invites you to learn more about how to stay safe from poisons! We are social. Join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/njpies) and Twitter (@NJPoisonCenter) for breaking news, safety tips, trivia questions, etc. Stay tuned for more poison prevention week safety information.

Real People. Real Answers.