{"id":17832,"date":"2026-03-27T10:01:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=17832"},"modified":"2026-03-27T10:08:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:08:58","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-offers-tips-to-prevent-accidental-poisoning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-offers-tips-to-prevent-accidental-poisoning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Tips to Prevent Accidental Poisoning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>March 16, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:<\/strong> Dr. Zelalem Attlee, <u><a href=\"mailto:Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov\">Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Tips to Prevent Accidental Poisoning<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>National Poison Prevention Week is March 15-21.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 Poisonings can happen to <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poison.org\/poison-statistics-national\">anyone<\/a><\/u>, at any age. Everyday items, like medications, cleaning products, cosmetics, and even certain plants, can be harmful if used incorrectly or accessed by children or pets. During <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poison.org\/articles\/poison-prevention-week\">National Poison Prevention Week<\/a><\/u>, the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District highlights steps Virginians can take to stay safe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccidental poisoning can happen quickly, especially when medications, cleaning products, or chemicals are left within reach,\u201d said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director J. Carr, M.D. \u201cSimple precautions like storing products safely and keeping the Poison Help number handy can make a lifesaving difference for families in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tips to Prevent Poisoning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District shares <u><a href=\"https:\/\/poisonhelp.hrsa.gov\/what-you-can-do\/prevention-tips\">simple steps<\/a><\/u> families and caregivers can take to reduce injuries and save lives:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep all medicines in their original containers with labels intact<\/li>\n<li>Store medicines, chemicals, and household cleaners in locked cabinets or out of children\u2019s reach<\/li>\n<li>Install and maintain a working carbon monoxide detector<\/li>\n<li>Follow all label instructions when using cleaning products, pesticides, or chemicals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fortunately, if a poison emergency happens, help is always available. Just call 1-<strong>800-222-1222<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Poison Help in Virginia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Virginia is served by two poison control centers that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The <u><a href=\"https:\/\/poison.vcu.edu\/\">Virginia Poison Center<\/a><\/u>\u00a0serves central and eastern Virginia. The <u><a href=\"https:\/\/med.virginia.edu\/brpc\/\">Blue Ridge Poison Center<\/a><\/u> services northern and western Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>Calls are answered by specially trained registered nurses who can assess the situation and provide first-aid instructions. When needed, callers are referred to the nearest health care facility equipped to manage poison emergencies.<\/p>\n<p>Of the 25,069 cases the Blue Ridge Poison Center handled in 2025, 68% were unintentional exposures. Adults, ages 20 years old and older, made up the largest group of callers. The most common substances: analgesics, antidepressants, cardiovascular medications, antihistamines, and household cleaners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When to Call Poison Help<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Virginians are urged to call 1\u2011800\u2011222\u20111222 right away if someone may have:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Swallowed something harmful<\/li>\n<li>Gotten a dangerous substance on their skin or in their eyes<\/li>\n<li>Breathed in a toxic fume or gas<\/li>\n<li>Overdosed on any substance<\/li>\n<li>Been bitten or stung by a snake, spider, or other venomous creature<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/poisonhelp.hrsa.gov\/\">Poison Help<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is only a phone call away. Calling Poison Help is free and confidential. You do not need to wait for symptoms to appear.<\/p>\n<p>For additional information, please contact Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District at <u><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rrhd.org\">www.rrhd.org<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>March 16, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Tips to Prevent Accidental Poisoning National Poison Prevention Week is March 15-21. WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 Poisonings can happen to anyone, at any age. Everyday items, like medications, cleaning products, cosmetics, and even certain plants, can be harmful if used incorrectly or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1615],"class_list":["post-17832","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-poison"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Tips to Prevent Accidental Poisoning - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-offers-tips-to-prevent-accidental-poisoning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Tips to Prevent Accidental Poisoning - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"March 16, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. 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