National Poison Prevention Week Began in Cape

March 17-23 marks the fifty-first National Poison Prevention Week, which was founded at Broadway Prescription Shop by the first owner, Homer George.

The George family owned and operated Broadway Prescription Shop from 1932 until 2007. Homer George began efforts to create a local poison prevention week in 1958, then made Missouri the first state in the country to designate statewide observation. When John F. Kennedy was president the U.S. Congress established National Poison Prevention Week on September 16, 1961. Shortly thereafter the Poison Prevention Week Council was formed to promote it the third week of March every year.

Current owner of Broadway Prescription Shop, Lee Schlitt, explains, "Broadway has served the community for more than eighty years, and we are very proud to continue the contribution made by Mr. George. What began as a local initiative has benefited the entire country for more than fifty years."

The goal of National Poison Prevention Week is to raise awareness of the dangers of accidental poisonings. More than two million poisonings are reported each year to the 57 poison control centers across the country. More than ninety percent of these poisonings occur in the home, and half of them involve children under five.

Schlitt adds, "People frequently think of children getting into cleaning supplies and medication, which does happen all too often. But poisoning can occur from many other sources, such as carbon monoxide from generators or people accidentally taking the wrong medication or incorrect dosage." Schlitt and other employees of Broadway Prescription Shop will visit area senior centers this week to distribute information and discuss safety measures.

If you think someone has been poisoned from a medicine or household chemical, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. This national toll-free number works from any U.S. location any time of the day or night every day of the year. Poison prevention tips can be found at www.Broadwaypharm.com and on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/broadwayprescriptionshop?ref=tn_tnmn.

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