Poisoning & Medication Safety

Toddlers and young children explore by putting things in their mouths. Ingestion is the most common route for childhood poisonings, but poisons can enter other ways too—for example, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas you breathe in and it can be deadly.

Hazardous products sit in homes, garages, yards, and cars. Medications—vitamins, over-the-counter drugs, and prescriptions—are now among the leading causes of unintentional poisoning in children. The handouts below help you store, dose, and dispose of products safely.

The North Dakota Department of Health offers poison-prevention materials for families, caregivers, and older adults (see link above). See also theNDDOH poison safety brochure (PDF).

Medication and drug take-back programs

North Dakota and Minnesota support take-back programs to get unused medications out of homes. Many law enforcement sites host permanent drop boxes. If you cannot reach a box, ask your pharmacist about disposal—or use wet coffee grounds or moistened sawdust instead of flushing medicines down the toilet.

Altru Health System and Safe Kids Grand Forks periodically host drive-through medication take-back events. Check our events calendar for upcoming dates.

American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC)

Poison centers answer emergencies and general questions about exposures. For free stickers or magnets with the national poison help number, contact Safe Kids Grand Forks.

More topics: safety information.