From 2017 to 2020, Cook Children's treated almost 2,500 unintentional poison injuries.1 In our eight-county service area, 1 in 4 young children lives in a home with medication or household cleaners that are not always safely stored away.2
If you have questions about potential poisons, medication dosage, or a poison emergency call the North Texas Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 The North Texas Poison Center is open 24/7 and the call is free. Calls are answered by doctors, nurses and pharmacists. Call 9-1-1 if your child won't wake up, is having trouble breathing or is having seizures.
Create a safe habit and be prepared in case of an emergency, enter 1-800-222-1222 into your cell phone today.
Poisons effect a wide range of ages and 70% of the poisonings treated at Cook Children's are medication related, while many others are due to common household products.
It is important to properly dispose of your unused and expired medications because:
To a child, the colors and shapes of medicine may look like candy or juice. The wrong medicine or the wrong amounts of medicine can cause severe injury to a child's small body. It is important to store prescription drugs, over-the-counter pain medicine and vitamins up high, in a locked or child-proofed cabinet. Medication safety starts with prevention and includes safe dosing, safe storage and safe disposal.
Download a medication schedule to help ensure your child takes their medicine exactly as directed.
Did you know? Opioids are strong pain medicines that are highly addictive. These drugs are used both legally and illegally, such as oxycodone, morphine, heroin and fentanyl. Fentanyl, is a drug that is showing up more each year and only takes a very small amount to cause an accidental overdose. In case of emergency, keep naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose, nearby and as a part of your first aid kit. Ask your pharmacist for more information.
To request and learn more about naloxone visit naloxonetexas.com.
Safe proof your home in advance and avoid potential danger zones. Take a tour of each room, inside and out, and look for the dangers we've outlined below. Consider what a child can see and reach at their height. The little time it takes to do this can help prevent accidental poisonings.
For young children who are not yet reading and like to explore, poisonous products may look like food, drinks, and candy.
Cook Children's Opioid Stewardship Committee led by Dr. Artee Gandhi, strives to reduce the risk of harm from addiction, ingestion, misuse, overdose, and death through best practices and education on the safe and sound practice of pain management. Ultimately, the goal is to build a framework for pain management that fulfills our Promise.
Opiate/ opioids: pain med given by a doctor; some opiates are not legal
Other names: OxyContin, Percocet (oxycodone & acetaminophen), Vicodin (hydrocodone & acetaminophen), Codeine, Dilaudid, Morphine, Tramadol, Fentanyl, Heroin
Stimulant: a material that speeds up activity between the brain and body; makes a person feel more awake or alert
Other names: Ritalin, Adderall, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine, uppers
Sedative: medicine often given for feelings of worry, dread, stress, or panic attacks given by a doctor
Other names: barbiturates, benzodiazepines, Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, benzos, bars, downers, Zannies
Inhalant: chemicals that are breathed in to give the user a fast rush or high; items include glue, hair spray, spray paint
Other names: whippets, poppers, snappers, bullet
Synthetic marijuana: human-made chemicals that are sprayed onto dried plant material so they can be smoked in e-cigarettes, pipes, or bongs to get high; misled as a safe, legal substitute to marijuana
Other names: Spice, K2, herbal incense
THC: part of the hemp plant that causes the feelings of using marijuana; legal in some states for medical or non-medical use
How it's used: lotions, oil, vapor, edibles, capsules, e-cigarette liquid
CBD: a part of the hemp plant that cannot get someone “high”; legally sold in some states for medical or non-medical use
How it's used: lotions, oil, vapor, edibles, capsules, e-cigarette liquid
Vaping: to breathe in vapor created by electronic cigarettes; vapor contains chemicals for flavoring and nicotine that can be addicting like regular tobacco
E-Cigarette: battery operated electronic cigarette that heats up a special liquid into vapor that can be breathed in; the liquid known as “e-juice” contains nicotine and chemicals for flavoring
Other names: Juul, NJOY, Puff bar, blu, Suorin
Help us protect kids from accidental poisoning. Please feel free to use our messaging below or create your own. Be sure to use #poisonprevention when you hashtag your post.
Do you know which one is candy? Kids don't either.
To kids, pills may not look harmful because they may be the same color and shape as candy. It is important to store all types of medication locked up and out of a child's reach. Practice safe storage, safe dosing and safe disposal. #poisonprevention
Be sure to lock up your medications.
Kids are curious and often learn by putting things in their mouths. Help them learn what is okay to touch and keep medication and cleaning products locked up and out of reach. Practice safe storage, safe dosing and safe disposal. #poisonprevention
Read the label to make sure you're giving your child the proper dosage.
It is critical to follow directions when giving medicine to your child. Double dosing is not twice as effective, and may be toxic for a child's body. Practice safe storage, safe dosing and safe disposal. #poisonprevention
Adults may know this is a cleaning product. Does a child see something different?
Kids are attracted to bright colors. Young children who cannot read may see colorful labels or liquids and think it's juice when really it's a household cleaner. Even simple laundry pods can be dangerous. The pods are soft and colorful but have harmful residue if absorbed in their mouths, noses, or ears. Practice safe storage, safe dosing and safe disposal. #poisonprevention
More than 60% of poisonings seen at Cook Children's are medication related.
Little kids are curious and still figuring things. Make sure their curiosity doesn't get the best of them (and you) and remember to put all medications in a locked box in an out-of-reach, safe area. #poisonprevention
Deaths by accidental poisonings have doubled since the 1990s.
Take the time to tour your house and make sure that medications, pill boxes, household cleaners, and even product such as mouthwash and soap are out of reach from your little one's hands. #poisonprevention
Is your home a danger zone?
Take a tour of your home inside and out and look for easy access to medication, pill boxes, household cleaners, and even products such as mouthwash and soap. The little time it takes to do this can help prevent a lifetime of tragedy as the result of a poisoning accident. #poisonprevention
Do you know how to dispose of your medication?
If you have unused or expired medications in your home, it's important to remove them. However, don't just throw them away or flush them down the sink or toilet. Instead, they need to be properly disposed of at designated drop off locations. #poisonprevention
The best disposal option is to find a drug take back location which may be found in retail, hospital, pharmacies, and/or law enforcement facilities.
Accepted drop disposal items |
Not accepted drop disposal items |
Prescription / over-the-counter medications |
Oxygen tanks/ Nebulizers |
Veterinary (animal) medications |
Needles/ Sharps/ Thermometers / IV bags |
Vitamins/ minerals/ samples |
Any equipment or syringes to administer medications |
For easier disposal, free medication take back envelopes are available for pick up at many Fort Worth Fire Department locations.
1 hour (Virtual - Zoom)
Did you know that 9 out of 10 poisonings occur in the home? Join The Injury Prevention Collaborative as we discuss the three important steps to prevent poisonings from occurring in your home! We will talk about tips for safe dosing, safe storage, and safe disposal of over the counter and prescription medications as well as household products and cleaners.
1 hour (Virtual - Zoom)
¿Sabías que 9 de cada 10 envenenamientos ocurren en el hogar? ¡Únase a Safe Kids North Texas - Fort Worth mientras hablamos de los tres pasos importantes para evitar que ocurran envenenamientos en su hogar! Hablaremos sobre consejos para la dosificación segura, el almacenamiento seguro y la eliminación segura de medicamentos de venta libre y recetados, así como productos de limpieza y productos para el hogar.
1 minute (Virtual - Recording)
Fentanyl overdoses are on the rise in Texas. Even the smallest amount, equivalent to a few grains of sand, can cause an overdose. From fake pills to other illegal substances, deadly fentanyl can hide anywhere. Watch to learn what you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
1 minute (Virtual - Recording)
More than 60,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year because they got into medication while unsupervised. Watch this video for tips on keeping your kids safe.
4 minutes (Virtual - Recording)
Safe storage is a key step in preventing accidental poisonings. Learn the top 3 tips for safe storage of medications and household products.
29 minutes (Virtual - Recording)
March 20-26, 2022 is Nation Poison Prevention Week. The goal of this week is to spread awareness about poison prevention and why it’s so important in our community. Lizbeth Petty from the North Texas Poison Center shares about programming and resources available to families and professionals across North Texas. The Injury Prevention Collaborative led by Cook Children’s and the Poison Center work together to educate and provide prevention tools so that communities can be safe from poisonings.
If you have any questions or would like more information about our program, please email injury.prevention@cookchildrens.org.
1 Cook Children's Health Care System. Health Care Analytics and Trauma Registry Departments. 2021.
2 Community-wide Children's Health Assessment and Planning Survey (CCHAPS) (2021). Cook Children's Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas.