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Spring and Summer Poison Hazards

Many parents don't realize that popular plants such as azaleas, boxwoods, ivy and wisteria can be poisonous if ingested by children. In fact, the spring and summer months introduce a number of poison hazards, including:
  • Poisonous plants and mushrooms;
  • Snake bites, spider bites and insect stings;
  • Sun poisoning;
  • Jellyfish stings;
  • Insect repellant, pesticides and flea bombs; and
  • Inhalant abuse, a practice that one in five American teenagers has tried.

Fortunately, if a poisoning incident does occur, parents can get immediate advice from experts by calling the Blue Ridge Poison Center at the University of Virginia, which serves more than 2.2 million people in 62 counties across the state. With trained poison specialists available 24 hours a day, the Center fields calls from the public and medical personnel following a poison exposure and makes recommendations on how to manage the case. In 1998, the Center managed more than 22,000 calls reporting human exposures to poisonous substances.

For more information on any aspect of poison prevention and treatment, call Jon Thompson, managing director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center, or Sue Kell, education coordinator, at (804) 924-0347.

June 1, 1999