DURING “NATIONAL POISON PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK,” NYC ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES OFFERS TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE FROM POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Medicines, Cleaning Products, Cannabis-Infused Products, Button Batteries & Other Potential Household Poisons Should Be Locked & Stored “Up and Away” From Children

Parents & Caregivers Should Save the NYC Poison Center Number in Their Phones: 212-POISONS 

Throughout “National Poison Prevention Awareness Week,” the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS) is offering tips to families about how to keep children safe from potentially dangerous household items. Everyday items like button batteries, medication, laundry pods, and cleaning products can pose a serious threat to children and should be locked and stored out of sight and out of reach from children. Throughout the week, the ACS Office of Child Safety and Injury Prevention, in partnership with the NYC Poison Center, will be providing this information, and other child safety tips, to families and child care staff during virtual trainings and more.

“We all know that children are naturally curious and want to explore the world around them. That eagerness to learn is one of the most special parts of childhood but it can sometimes put them at risk for preventable injuries, which is why ACS is working hard to make sure families know how to make their homes as safe as possible for our little ones,” said Melissa Hester, Interim Commissioner of the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. “National Poison Prevention Awareness Week is an opportunity to share vital information with New Yorkers about the easy steps families can take to secure their homes. Storing potentially dangerous household items locked away, out of sight and reach of children and away from food items are good first steps. For more information we encourage everyone to visit our website: www.nyc.gov/childsafety or call the NYC Poison Center at 212-POISONS”. 

“Poisoning is preventable, but it remains a serious risk in many homes. We encourage all New Yorkers to take simple steps to keep their families safe: store medicines and household chemicals out of reach of children, read labels carefully, and save the NYC Poison Center number, 212-POISONS (212-764-7667),” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “Protecting the health and safety of our youngest New Yorkers starts at home, and together, we can prevent emergencies before they happen.”

Below are just some steps that families can follow to keep children safe:

• Keep medicines and other toxic household products locked out of sight and reach of children (for example in a locked medicine cabinet, medicine lock box or on a high shelf). Ask anyone who cares for your children to store medicines and other toxic substances out of sight and reach.
• Never keep medicines, vitamins and cannabis-infused edible products on the kitchen table or other surfaces that are easily accessible by children.
• Keep medicines, vitamins, and cannabis-infused edible products separate from other food and drinks and in their original, child-resistant containers. After use, close and re-tighten child-resistant caps on medications and vitamins. Make sure you hear the cap click!
• Carefully examine flooring to find and discard any pills or other items that may have fallen on the floor, becoming easily accessible to children.
• Never tell your child that medicine is or tastes like candy or gum to get them to take it!
• Keep your bag out of reach of children. Almost anything can be poisonous in the hands of curious children.
• Be prepared for emergencies! Save the NYC Poison Center number in your cell phone 212-764-7667 and post in an easy-to-remember place at home. Call the Poison Center for more information on safely disposing of medicines. The Poison Center is available 24/7, and calls are free and confidential with translation services in more than 150 languages.

America’s Poison Centers received over 835,000 calls nationally in 2025 involving children five years or younger. For over 70 years, the NYC Poison Center has been there for NYC residents and health care providers, helping to reduce illness and save lives. Their Poison Information Specialists can provide you with free and confidential medical consultations via phone or chat, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.