To realize that chemicals and toxics are all around us and that we can make a choice whether or not to use them. A toxic is any substance that is capable of harming a person if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through any body surface. Toxic substances vary widely in the types of harm they cause and the conditions under which they become harmful. The effects of the toxic substances vary widely, too.
Acute reactions are sudden ones such as vomiting or dizziness.
Chronic reactions occur over longer periods and include symptoms such as decline in mental alertness, change in behavior, cancer, and mutations that can harm unborn children of exposed parents. Because toxics can cause both acute and chronic reactions, they are a broader category than poisons, which produce acute reactions only. For this reason, the words toxic and poison are not interchangeable. This predicament of needing substances that sometimes produce undesirable effects forces people to make choices about what is acceptable to them. Different people are willing to take different risks related to toxic chemicals and have varying concerns about the effects of toxins on themselves and people around them.