By Staff
Special to the standard
National Poison Prevention Week is March 18-24, and each year more than 2 million poisonings are reported to the 61 Poison Control Centers across the country. More than 90 percent of these poisonings occur in the home and the majority of nonfatal poisonings occur in children younger than age 6, while poisonings are one of the leading causes of death among adults.
In an effort to prevent such tragic events, the federal government has declared March 18 to 24 National Poison Prevention Week. First authorized by Congress and signed into law by President Kennedy in 1961, National Poison Prevention Week is an annual event aimed at raising public awareness of the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them.
The theme for this year's Poison Prevention Week is &#8220Children Act Fast