IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 96

Recognizing National Poison Prevention Week, and encouraging parents, educators, and caregivers to teach children the dangers of ingesting household substances.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 21, 2001

Mr. BARRETT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on

Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned

RESOLUTION

Recognizing National Poison Prevention Week, and encouraging parents, educators, and caregivers to teach children

the dangers of ingesting household substances.

Whereas National Poison Prevention Week was authorized by

Congress and President Kennedy in 1961 by Public Law

87–319 (75 Stat. 681);

Whereas Congress intended this event as a means for local

communities to raise awareness of the dangers of unintentional poisonings and to take such preventive measures as the dangers warrant;
2

•HRES 96 IH

Whereas each year, National Poison Prevention Week is designated by Presidential proclamation and occurs during

the third full week of March;

Whereas this year National Poison Prevention Week is the

week beginning March 18th;

Whereas 4,000,000 accidental poisonings occur in the United

States every year at an estimated cost of $3,000,000,000

in medical expenses;

Whereas the Food and Drug Administration estimates that

the Nation’s 430 poison control centers are contacted

1,500,000 times annually about human exposure to potentially lethal substances;

Whereas in 75 percent of incidents, poison control centers are

able to help individuals handle exposures safely at home,

and no visit to a health care provider is required;

Whereas poison control centers help prevent about 50,000

hospitalizations and 400,000 doctor visits each year;

Whereas nine of 10 accidental poisonings occur in the home,

and the toxins involved can include cleaning agents, cosmetics, personal care products, plants, insects, food, and

fertilizers;

Whereas pharmaceuticals, both over-the counter and prescription drugs, account for more than 40 percent of all

poisonings;

Whereas 60 percent of accidental poisoning victims are children younger than six years of age;

Whereas normal, curious children under the age of six are in

stages of growth and development in which they are constantly exploring and investigating the world around
3

•HRES 96 IH

them, and they are often unable to read or recognize

warning labels;

Whereas the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the

American Association of Poison Control Centers found

that 23 percent of the oral prescription drugs that were

ingested by children under the age of six belonged to

someone who did not live with the child;

Whereas regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission require that aspirin, and other products, be packaged in special containers that would prevent at least 80

percent of those children tested from opening the container during a 10-minute test;

Whereas each year during National Poison Prevention Week,

we assess our progress in saving lives and reaffirm our

National commitment to preventing injuries or deaths

from poisoning; and

Whereas in the 2000 National Poison Prevention Week proclamation, President Clinton stated that ‘‘We have indeed

made progress in the nearly 4 decades since the Congress

first authorized this annual observance. In 1962, almost

450 children died of poisoning after swallowing medicines

or household chemicals. By 1996, that tragic statistic

had been reduced to 47. Our goal is to reduce it to

zero.’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) fully supports National Poison Prevention

3 Week;

4 (2) recognizes the need for increased poison

5 prevention education for our Nation’s children;
4

•HRES 96 IH

1 (3) encourages parents, educators, and child

2 care providers to teach children the dangers of in3 gesting household substances; and

4 (4) asks parents to practice preventative actions

5 to decrease the incidence of accidental poisonings,

6 including being familiar with their children’s medical

7 histories, becoming proficient at basic first-aid pro8 cedures, properly labeling household chemicals and

9 substances, and keeping telephone numbers for the

10 local poison control center and other emergency

11 services in accessible areas of the home.

Æ