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COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE WARNS OF POISONS IN THE HOME
National Poison Prevention Week is March 16-22, and Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is warning West Virginia residents to be aware of the dangers posed by many common household chemicals, and to make sure they are kept safely away from children and pets.
“Common items on the farm and in the home can be dangerous, and sometimes deadly. Everyone should take stock of what they have in their homes, barns and garages to make sure products are stored safely and securely,” said Commissioner Douglass.
Although drugs, caustic chemicals such as drain cleaner, and poisons such as insect sprays are commonly of most concern to parents and pet owners, other materials are also dangerous and may be stored in less secure areas.
Consumers will soon be stocking up on lawn and garden chemicals for spring, Commissioner Douglass noted.
“Outdoor chemicals are sometimes stored in locations that are out of sight of adults, but that may be appealing to curious children, such as barns and sheds. Dangerous substances in those areas should also be secured,” he said.
Product labels are the key to safe storing, handling and disposing of chemicals. Consumers are urged to read and follow all label instructions and to adhere to the following general rules:
- Store products out of reach of children and pets. Keep all pesticides and harmful household products locked in a cabinet, a utility area with lots of ventilation or air flow, or in a garden shed.
- Store flammable products outside your living area and far away from places where they could catch fire.
- Keep flammable products away from furnaces, portable and electric baseboard heaters, and outdoor grills.
- Never store pesticides or other household products where food and medicine are stored.
- Always store household products in their original containers so that you can read the label for directions.
- Never transfer pesticides or other household products to soft drink bottles, milk jugs or other food containers. Children, or even adults, may mistake them for something to eat or drink.
For general information on spring planting, contact Dr. Berry Crutchfield, Plant/Pest Biologist for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) Plant Industries Division at 304-558-2212.
For information on WVDA’s pesticide programs, contact WVDA’s Pesticide Regulatory Programs Unit at 304-558-2209.
To learn more about National Poison Prevention Week, visit www.poisonprevention.org.
West Virginia’s statewide poison control hotline number is 1-800-222-1222. Call this number if you think someone has been exposed to a toxic substance.
For general information on poison control in West Virginia, visit http://www.wvpoisoncenter.org.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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