IV
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 96
Recognizing National Poison Prevention Week, and encouraging parents, edu-
cators, and caregivers to teach children the dangers of ingesting house-
hold 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 consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
RESOLUTION
Recognizing National Poison Prevention Week, and encour-
aging 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 unin-
tentional poisonings and to take such preventive meas-
ures as the dangers warrant;
•HRES 96 IH
Whereas each year, National Poison Prevention Week is des-
ignated 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 po-
tentially 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, cos-
metics, personal care products, plants, insects, food, and
fertilizers;
Whereas pharmaceuticals, both over-the counter and prescrip-
tion drugs, account for more than 40 percent of all
poisonings;
Whereas 60 percent of accidental poisoning victims are chil-
dren 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 con-
stantly exploring and investigating the world around
•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 Com-
mission require that aspirin, and other products, be pack-
aged in special containers that would prevent at least 80
percent of those children tested from opening the con-
tainer 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 proc-
lamation, 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
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) fully supports National Poison Prevention
Week;
(2) recognizes the need for increased poison
prevention education for our Nation’s children;