INDIANAPOLIS — According to fire officials, there are hidden poisons in people's home that they don't even realize.
"Just about anywhere in the home," Captain Michael Pruitt, Wayne Township Fire Department, said. "So we can find them in the garage, we can find them in the bathroom, the kitchen, you can also find them in your purse."
One hazard can be household cleaners. Leaving the products in their original containers is important.
"People can get themselves in trouble with household cleaners when they start mixing things," Captain Pruitt said. "They will put something in a bottle that they had another type of cleaning chemical in before. You're going to get a reaction, or you use to clean the wrong thing, and get themselves in trouble."
Nearly half of the calls to Poison Control are for kids under 6-years-old. It is also essential to keep things like Tide Pods, and even rodent killer, locked away because their packaging can look very similar to candy.
"They give them color to make them attractive, to get you to buy their product," Captain Pruitt said. "For a child, it could be extremely attractive to come up and grab the wrong thing."
Statistics show medicines are the leading cause of poisoning for kids. It is also essential to keep any medication in their original child-resistant packaging and remind babysitters, or grandparents, to put them in high places.
Along with keeping the items in safe places, it's important to make sure residents have carbon monoxide detectors in their home. According to data, 50,000 people head to the ER every year due to accidental poisoning.
"You can't smell it; you can't taste it. People have been known to die in their sleep without these working in their homes," the Wayne Township Fire Captain said.
If you are ever concerned that you or someone you know may have been exposed to poison, don't hesitate to contact the Indiana Poison Center.
According to Dr. Blake Froberg, the most common exposure overall is to pain medications. Do not wait for someone to get sick, call the Indiana Poison Center with any questions.
