Poison Control: Take the Fright out of Halloween Night

By: NEWS RELEASE | SCNow
Published: October 26, 2009

COLUMBIA - The Palmetto Poison Center has information on how to keep your children safe this Halloween.

Halloween can be frightening in more ways than one if safety tips are not followed. Here are a few tips the Palmetto Poison Center recommends to keep your little ones safe:

• Children should not eat any treats until a parent has had time to inspect them.

• All candy needs to be inspected for small puncture holes and the candy should be in its original, unopened container.

• Feed children before taking them out to trick or treat so they will be less likely to snack.

• Throw away any candy that is questionable.

• Use Halloween makeup that is non-toxic.

“We see an increase in glow stick ingestions this time of year”, states Dr. Jill Michels a Clinical Pharmacist and Director of the Palmetto Poison Center at USC’s South Carolina College of Pharmacy. “Parents need to remember when glow sticks are being used by small children they need to be supervised at all times.” Glow sticks may occasionally break.

Here are some important things to remember about glowsticks:

• Wash the skin with soap and water if the chemical gets on the skin.( The chemical can cause irritation and skin rash).

• If the chemical gets in the eye it can cause severe irritation. Flush the eyes with lukewarm water for 15 minutes.

• If the contents are swallowed it can cause nausea and burning. Give small amounts of water and watch for coughing.

• Contact the Palmetto Poison Center with any exposure from the contents of glow sticks.

The Palmetto Poison Center is staffed by trained nurses and pharmacists who can provide treatment information when a parent needs information about Halloween safety.

Additionally, the Palmetto Poison Center provides poison prevention education around the state to inform parents and youngsters not only about the dangers of household poisonings, but also outdoor exposure to poisonous agents. From medication errors to insect bites, poisonous plants, pesticides and other household chemicals, the Palmetto Poison Center can provide expert advice.

The Center provides services to over 4 million residents in all 46 counties of South Carolina.

Services are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To contact the Palmetto Poison Center, call 1-800-222-1222.