There are hundreds of poisons in the typical home. Many common household chemicals and cleaners, medications and some plants are poisonous.

Most poisonings involve children between the ages of 18 months and four years old. Many involve adults using chemicals without proper safety precautions. Medication mix-ups sometimes cause poisonings of older adults. Overdoses of medicines as suicide attempts cause more poisonings.

You can avoid most poisonings by following these simple safety precautions:
* "Poison-proof" your home if children may be present at any time. Move all chemicals and cleaners to a high shelf or into a locked cabinet.
* Remember that petroleum products and anti-freeze are poisonous.
* Do not share prescription medications with others.
* Dispose of all leftover medications.
* Keep medications in a locked cabinet.
* Do not mix drugs in the same container.
* Never coax a child to take his medication by telling him it tastes "like candy".
* Iron pills and some vitamins can be dangerous.
* Always use child-proof caps on medication containers.
* Do not mix cleansers, especially bleach, with other cleansers containing acid.
* Do not store chemicals in unlabeled containers, in the refrigerator, or in the same cabinet where food is kept.
* Keep alcoholic drinks out of the reach of small children.
* Open windows and doors and use fans when using strong cleaners indoors.
* Remove common plants known to be poisonous. These include foxglove, castor bean, Jimson weed and diffenbachia.
* Do not eat mushrooms collected from the wild.
* Use caution around areas where snakes or other venomous animals, such as scorpions and black widow spiders, may be found.
* Know the number of the nearest emergency department and poison control center, and post it near your telephone.
* Keep syrup of ipecac; a drug used to induce vomiting, in your medicine cabinet. Use this medication only if advised to do so by your poison control center professional, or if the container containing poison advised to induce vomiting.

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