“Let’s make life safer through informed prevention of poisoning” — this year’s slogan serves as a reminder of the vital role of public awareness and family education in the safe storage of medicines and chemical substances.
Dr. Viana Nazari, pharmacist, in an interview with Fartak News, referred to this year’s national slogan, “Let’s make life safer through informed prevention of poisoning,” and stated that the purpose of this campaign is to enhance public awareness and highlight the importance of education in preventing poisonings, particularly among young children.
She emphasized that “children may be small, but the risks they face are great.” Most accidental poisonings, she explained, occur in children under the age of five, mainly due to parents’ negligence in properly storing medications and household chemicals. Children are naturally curious and explore their surroundings through touch and taste — behaviors that, while normal, can become dangerous if toxic substances are within reach. Because of their smaller body mass, faster metabolism, and lack of awareness, poisoning in children develops more quickly and severely, sometimes resulting in hospitalization or even death.
Referring to data from national poison control centers, Dr. Nazari noted that the majority of poisoning incidents occur in domestic settings — the child’s immediate environment — underscoring the lack of adequate control over children’s access to hazardous substances.
She added that the three main causes of poisoning in children are:
1. Unlabeled or repackaged household medications,
2. Colorful and appealing syrups, and
3. Cleaning and disinfectant products.
One of the key steps in prevention, she explained, is identifying parents’ unsafe habits — such as storing medicine in beverage bottles, administering adult medications to children without a prescription, using non-standard tools (like kitchen spoons) for dosing, or keeping drugs within a child’s reach.
Dr. Nazari stressed that parents should avoid self-medicating their children, never remove drugs from their original packaging, always use proper measuring devices, and keep even seemingly harmless substances — such as multivitamins — out of reach of children.
Highlighting the importance of proper first responses during the first few minutes of a poisoning incident, she advised: “In the first ten seconds, remain calm — panic only delays medical contact.” Inducing vomiting, she warned, is not always appropriate and can even be dangerous in certain cases, such as poisoning by petroleum products or specific medications.
She recommended that in suspected poisoning cases, parents should immediately contact the Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) by dialing 190 (extension 3, code 2). If the child shows symptoms such as loss of consciousness, seizures, or breathing difficulty, parents should call Emergency Medical Services (115) at once. Bringing the container of the ingested substance to the medical facility can help physicians initiate appropriate treatment more quickly.
In cases of skin or eye exposure, Dr. Nazari advised rinsing the affected area with plenty of water for 15–20 minutes to reduce the substance’s concentration.
In conclusion, Dr. Nazari underscored the need for ongoing public education, stating:
“Poisoning prevention is only achievable through awareness and cultural change in the way hazardous materials are stored at home. Every medicine, even vitamins, can become toxic in high doses. Therefore, safe storage of drugs and cleaning products in locked cabinets, out of children’s reach, must become a universal household habit.”