GALVESTON, Texas - The Southeast Texas Poison Center and the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin are sponsoring "The Poison Prevention Adventure" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at the Ellen Trout Zoo, 402 Zoo Circle. The goal of the event is to raise awareness about poison prevention and poison safety in a fun learning environment as well as to raise funds to promote poison prevention and education throughout the year. National poison prevention week is March 15-21.
In an effort to reduce poisonings, the SEPTC will bring attention to the proper handling of household chemicals, medications, plants and various animals at the event. When handled improperly they can be hazardous, even deadly, especially to young children.
Located at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the SETPC is one of a network of six regional centers established by the Texas Legislature to provide prevention and emergency treatment information to Texas residents and health-care providers concerning poisonings or toxic exposures.
Proceeds from the event will support the SETPC's educational program, which services 28 counties in southeast Texas, including Angelina County. For more information about the event, visit www.utmb.edu/setpc and click on "current events."
Anyone with a question about poisons may call the national toll-free hotline at 800-222-1222 to reach nurses, pharmacists, paramedics and physicians who have extensive education, training and expertise in the field of clinical toxicology or poisoning. These specialists in poison information have access to a comprehensive database of thousands of substances, both pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical, that they can reference as they manage each exposure call or request for information.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers operates the hotline. It works similarly to 911 in that calls are directed to the nearest poison center, which is available 24 hours a day and has the capability to translate calls from a variety of languages, including Spanish.
The center is funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and through public and private donations. For more information, visit http://www.poisoncontrol.org/.