About Poisoning
What is a poison?
A poison is any substance that can harm your body, make you sick or even kill you if used in the wrong way. Poisons can enter the body through the following:
- Mouth – Eating/Drinking
- Nose – Smelling
- Skin – Touching
- Eyes
Most poisonings involve everyday household items such as medicines, cleaning supplies, cosmetics and personal care items.
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Who gets poisoned?
In 2007, 2.5 million people were exposed to poisons. Almost 1.3 million of these occurred in children under the age of 6. In the same year, almost 860,000 adults (20 years and older) called Poison Centers.
The leading causes of poisoning for children and adults:
Children
- Cosmetics such as perfume or nail polish, and personal care products such as deodorant and soap.
- Cleaning products such as laundry detergent and floor cleaners.
- Pain killers such as acetaminophen and similar medications.
Adults
- Pain killers
- Sedatives (drugs used to reduce anxiety), hypnotics (sleeping pills) and antipsychotics (drugs used to treat mental illness)
- Household cleaning products.
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Facts
Nationally
- 4.2 million poison related calls in 2007, a 46% increase from the year 2000.
- Over two million poison exposures were reported to local poison centers in 2007
- On average, poison centers handle one poison exposure every 8 seconds.
- Most poisoning exposures are unintentional. About 13% are on purpose, due either to a suicide attempt or intentional misuse.
- Almost 90% of the public who call a local Poison Center get the help they need over the telephone without having to go to a doctor or the hospital. *Source: American Association of Poison Control Centers – www.aapcc.org
New Jersey Poison Facts
- In 2007, NJPIES received a total of 75,868 poison-related calls.
- There were 53,890 poison exposures reported in 2007.
- Over 50 percent of all poison exposures occurred in children under the age of 6.
- 82 percent of poison exposures were unintentional.
- 74.7 percent of calls were made from a New Jersey residence.
- 17.5 percent of calls originated from a Healthcare facility or medical professional.
- 73.8 percent of exposure calls were treated onsite with phone advice and assistance from the New Jersey Poison Control Center.
Source: New Jersey Poison Information and Education System
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Statistics
Coming soon.
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Educational Programs
The Education Department at NJPIES offers several FREE programs with the purpose of empowering NJ Residents with the information necessary to adhere to poison safe practices in their homes, workplace, and community. Please find the descriptions below detailing NJPIES’ children, parent, adult, senior, and train the trainer programs.
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Children's Programs
Program Objective:
The Education Department at NJPIES has developed several FREE age specific programs for children. These programs are designed to instruct students on methods of poison safety and increase awareness regarding poisons. Each Program is about 30-45 minutes in length and are facilitated by an NJPIES Educator. Programs include interactive components such as games and videos and encourage a discussion in a Q & A atmosphere. Free educational materials will be provided to all participants.
NJPIES offers the following programs:
 Preschool Program: Spike’s Poison Prevention Adventure: Daycares and preschools are encouraged to facilitate this exciting and enjoyable poison prevention presentation in their classrooms! The Spike’s Poison Prevention Adventure video can be downloaded from our site for FREE! The accompanying lesson plans and program materials are available for download under the link “Lesson Plans.”
Download Spike’s Poison Prevention Adventure Video:
1 & 2nd Grade—Poison Patrol: This program covers what is a poison, how to identify poisons, typical types of poisons, the “Ask First Rule”, and general safety tips. Features a video and activity.
3rd - 5th Grade—Poison Safety Certificate: This program covers what is a poison, how to identify poisons, common household poisons, the “Ask First Rule,” and general safety tips.
Download your Poison Patrol Certificate
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Adult Programs: Parents, Adults and Seniors
FREE 1 hour workshops for parents, adults, senior citizens, or health care providers are designed to draw attention to the importance of poison safety. The following outline details the topics that will be covered throughout the program with a focus on how it is applicable to daily life. This program includes interactive components and encourages a discussion in a Q & A atmosphere. Free educational materials will be provided to all participants.
Program Content:
Identify and Define Poisons
Poison Proof Your Home: Parents will learn how to maintain a child-safe environment in their home.
Medication Safety: Program participants will learn how to poison proof their home and develop easy routines to manage a healthy lifestyle.
Drugs, Alcohol, & Tobacco Poisoning: Participants will be alerted to the potential dangers of over the counter drugs, herbal and dietary supplements, and drug interactions.
Outdoor Safety: Garden, pesticide, herbicide, and recreational safety tips will be discussed.
Where to Get Help: Program will include a description of the range of services offers to seniors.
 Poison Control in Action video: Kick off your presentation with an inside look at poisoning and poisoning prevention for adults. Approx. 13 minutes play time for English version, 16 minutes play time for Spanish version.
English (Broadband)
English (Dial-up)
Spanish (Broadband)
Spanish (Dial-up)
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Train the Trainer Workshop
FREE Poison Prevention Training Program
The Education Department at the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) has developed this free workshop for individuals interested in promoting the poison prevention message to their communities. Train-the-Trainer (TNT) is a comprehensive training session during which participants will learn how to facilitate established poison prevention programs for a wide range of audiences. Participating in Train-the-Trainer can benefit you no matter what your interests are; whether it is providing your organization with a wellness program, reaching your students, or volunteering in your community. We invite you to take advantage of this rewarding, FREE opportunity and encourage you to join us in our efforts to keep NJ Residents poison safe!
Goals and Objectives:
Goal: To increase awareness of Poison Control Center services and poison prevention messages to New Jersey residents by teaching participants the methods and strategies required to effectively deliver poison prevention education presentations.
Participant Learning Objectives: By the end of the workshop, participants will learn how to:
- Identify and approach target populations for poison prevention education.
- Provide a comprehensive view of national and state poisoning prevalence.
- Provide basic poison information and prevention strategies to specific populations.
- Apply teaching strategies and facilitation skills during implementation of poison prevention lessons.
- List and explain Poison Center Services and its benefits.
- Schedule poison prevention programs and order educational materials in coordination with NJPIES.
- Conduct audience-specific poison prevention programs (i.e. seniors, parents, adolescents, and children).
Program Design:
Train-the-Trainer is an interactive workshop that encourages participation and discussion to equip providers with the information necessary to facilitate poison prevention lessons. The prevention topics covered are: defining and identifying poisons, common household poisons, how to poison proof a home, child safety, adult safety, medication safety, outdoor safety, food safety, and poison center services. Participants will receive a training manual which includes comprehensive lesson plans, supplementary classroom materials, and several resource appendices.
Who can Attend Train-the-Trainer:
- Social Workers/Community Outreach Workers
- Health Educators/Public Health Professionals
- Health Care Providers (Doctors, Pharmacists, & Nurses)
- Teachers, School Nurses, Child Care Providers
Train-the-Trainer design:
- Hands on training in
- Poison Safety Topics
- Identifying Target Audiences
- Conducting Lesson Plans and Activities
- Setting up Programs with appropriate groups and locations
- Free Training Manual
- Free Lesson Plans and Accompanying Materials
- Continuing Education Credits are available for Nurses and Health Educators
For more information about TNT please contact Alicia Gambino, Director of Education at 973-972-9280 ext 107.
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Request a Program
To request a program, please click the above link.
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Educational Materials
Lesson Plans
Daycare/Preschool Lesson Plan: Spike’s Poison Prevention Adventure! Daycares and preschools are encouraged to facilitate this exciting and enjoyable poison prevention presentation in their classrooms! The Spike’s Poison Prevention Adventure video can be downloaded from our site for FREE! The accompanying lesson plans and program materials are available for download under the link “Lesson Plans.”
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Handouts/Coloring Sheets
Stop and Think
Word Find
Poison Puzzle
Safe to Smell?
Kitchen Smart
Safe to Eat
Poison Maze
Poison Tic-Tac-Toe
Frequently Asked Questions
The Facts About Poisonings and Poison Safety
Seasonal Tips – Winter
Seasonal Tips – Spring
Seasonal Tips – Summer
Seasonal Tips – Fall
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Medicines In My Home
The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), in cooperation with Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools and the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), has launched Medicines In My Home (MIMH), an interactive educational program intended to teach students in sixth through eighth grades about the safe and effective use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. The website provides classroom materials and resources for teachers and online information for students and their families.
The program focuses on understanding components of the Drug Facts label. It also emphasizes that medicines should be used only with adult supervision and advises that a doctor or pharmacist is the best source to answer questions about medicines. Some of the printable materials are designed to encourage students to share what they learn with their families so that all family members can learn to use over-the-counter medicines more safely.
*adapted from the FDA’s Medicines In My Home website. www.fda.gov/medsinmyhome/
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Available Materials
The following educational materials are available to residents and providers in NJ. Please follow the link to order FREE educational materials today!
| Phone Stickers: An informative sticker sheet including three stickers to be placed on telephones as well as a medication safety do's and don'ts list to be placed in a medicine cabinet. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Phone Stickers (Spanish): An informative sticker sheet including three stickers to be placed on telephones as well as a medication safety do's and don'ts list to be placed in a medicine cabinet. Available in packets of 100.
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| Baby Sitters Do's & Don'ts: Gingerbread-shaped handout with useful poison safety tips for parents, babysitters, and childcare providers. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Baby Sitters Do's & Don'ts (Spanish): Gingerbread-shaped handout with useful poison safety tips for parents, babysitters, and childcare providers. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Carbon Monoxide Pamphlets: Two-sided brochure detailing the causes, symptoms, and effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Carbon Monoxide Pamphlets (Spanish): Two-sided brochure detailing the causes, symptoms, and effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Annual Report: Hard copy of current annual report. Available in limited quantity. (Pdf version available for download via website) |
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| Coloring Sheet Set: Set of worksheets and coloring sheets for children. 1 Copy per order. |
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| Medicine Spoons: Liquid medication dispenser. |
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| Poisons in the Home Brochure: Poison safety information pertaining to dangers in the home. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Poisons in the Home Brochure (Spanish): Poison safety information pertaining to dangers in the home. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Your Poison Center Brochure: Helpful information about NJ Poison Control Center and it's services. Available in packets of 100. |
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| Your Poison Center Brochure (Spanish): Helpful information about NJ Poison Control Center and it's services. Available in packets of 100. |
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| English 1-800 Magnet: 2 x 2 magnet with National Logo & 1-800 number |
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| Spanish 1-800 Magnet: 2 x 4 magnet with 1-800 number and short description of the Poison Center |
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| Hospital Stickers: Telephone stickers available to Healthcare facilities ONLY. |
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| Look-A-Like Poster: 11 x 17 poster depicting various "safe" products that may be mistaken for potential poisons. (Example: Medicine and Candy) |
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| National Pet Poster: 11 x 17 poster depicting the National 1-800 logo and a variety of pets. |
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| Medication Information Poster: 11x17 poster depicting medication information services. |
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| Poison Control Center Services Poster: 11 x 17 poster describing poison center services |
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| Poison Control Center Services Poster (Spanish): 11 x 17 poster describing poison center services |
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Request Materials
To request materials, please click the above link.
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Interactive Learning Tools
 Carbon Monoxide Awareness and Lead Learning Center:
Carbon Monoxide and Lead are dangerous poisons that can be found in and around homes and communities. Take a tour of our neighborhood in this interactive game to see what potential dangers might be around.
Click here to play |
 Toxie the Tox Mystery Cat:
ToxMystery is an e-learning game that uses animation, sound effects and positive reinforcement to help 7-11 year olds learn about possible chemical hazards around the home. ToxMystery en español's "Para los padres" (For Parents) page gives parents more detailed information about potential household hazards. The "Para maestros" (Teachers) page has lesson plans and downloadable classroom activity pages in Spanish. ToxMystery can be used in science and health classes.
Toxie, the ToxMystery guide cat, has returned to school and can now speak Spanish. By selecting the "Espanol" or "English" tab on the upper right of the homepage, gamers can move between Spanish and English as they explore the site's "house of hazards."
Come play with Toxie and see if you can find the hazards in English and en español! Click here to play |
 STOP! Ask First!:
Download the Stop! Ask First! Poison Prevention Video Click here to play
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Poison Adventure Games and Worksheets:
| LEVEL 1 - You can do it! |
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Worksheets |
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| LEVEL 2 - So you think you know poisons?! |
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Worksheets |
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| LEVEL 3 - Brain power required! |
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Worksheets |
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Internships
Health Education Internship at NJPIES:
The NJPIES Health Education Department has two open positions for any junior or senior undergraduate students. Interns will work closely with NJPIES Health Educators and be able to experience several aspects of health promotion and outreach. Some responsibilities may include writing press releases, attending educational programs, assisting and coordinating programs and events, establishing target audiences for project promotion and creating your own lesson plans and activities.
Student Requirements:
Students must be an undergraduate junior or senior and have had some public health or health education course work completed. Students must be willing to work at least 20 hours a week. Hours are flexible within the 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday work week; however, students must be reliable. The Health Education Internship is offered each semester. If you would like to apply please email your resume to: Madhavi Kasinadhuni – madhavik@njpies.org or Letitia Johnson-Arnold – ljohnson@njpies.org . For questions please call 973 972 9280 ext. 104 or 106
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