WDH Offers Tips for a Safe Holiday Season

 The Wyoming Department of Health released a guide to possible poisonous items that may be in your home this holiday season from the Nebraska Regional Poison Center (NRPC).

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• If you do have visitors remember that they may bring their medications, so make sure they put them out of sight and reach, as 59,000 children go to U.S. emergency departments every year for a poisoning. 48% of these cases involve children accessing grandparents’ medications.
• Avoid storing disinfectants and cleaners on the counter.
• Disc batteries may be found in toys, games, watches, remotes, and musical greeting cards, and if swallowed, they can become lodged in the throat and cause serious injury or death.
• Alcohol is found in holiday drinks, hand sanitizers, and even in perfume and cologne, so remove them from sight and reach.
• Lamp oil in candle lamps is frequently used this time of year and, if a child were to swallow it, could cause choking and chemical pneumonia if it goes in the lungs.
• Keep small children and animals away from seasonal plants such as mistletoe, holly berries, yew plants, and poinsettias.
• Holiday tree icicles, tinsel, and garland can be a choking hazard if swallowed. Snow sprays and glitter could also be hazardous.