Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County recently delivered its Poison Prevention Program to 41 classrooms, reaching more than 845 first grade students.
The Poison Prevention Program educates first grade students on how to prevent accidental poisonings in the home and what to do if a poisoning occurs. Students also learn about the definition of a pest and the components of integrated pest management. Educators discuss signal words that can be seen on chemicals and how a Mr. Yuk sticker can alert families to a potentially poisonous product. Mr. Yuk, a green symbol developed by the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital, displays the phone number for the National Poison Center.
At the conclusion of the program, the students receive a take-home packet, featuring Mr. Yuk stickers and a family homework assignment to identify both signal words and appropriate storage locations of chemical products to promote safe storage practices.
Sponsored by the Pesticide Education Program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the statewide Poison Prevention Program will reach more than 17,000 first grade students. Penn State Master Gardeners and agricultural education groups coordinate and present the program to local schools. Since 2010, nearly 65,000 first graders have participated in the program.
National Poison Prevention Week was March 19-25. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, approximately 50 percent of calls received involve children under the age of five. More than 90 percent of the calls are exposures that happen in the home.
The National Poison Center phone number (800-222-1222) can be called 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For more information about poison safety and to learn how you can get Mr. Yuk stickers for your home, visit The Penn State Pesticide Education Program website at: http://extension.psu.edu/pesticide-education.
Poison Prevention Program At Scranton’s John F. Kennedy School
Penn State’s Lackawanna County Master Gardener Cathy Corkill, back, third from left, presented the Poison Prevention Program to Katie Raymer’s, Heidi Midura’s and Angela Ms. Brigido’s first grade classes at Scranton’s John F. Kennedy School. |
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