Media Information

To: Newsroom Staff
From: Dr. Elizabeth Scharman, Director
 
 

As many as 360,000 of the nation's 12M undergraduates in 1991 died from alcohol related causes while in school. As many as 60% of females will get a sexually transmitted disease while under the effect of alcohol.
Long term effects of heavy alcohol use include memory loss and sexual impotence.
College students drink enough alcohol for every college and university to fill an Olympic size swimming pool.
On campuses, alcohol is a factor in 40% of all academic problems, and 28% of all dropouts.
Hangovers are due to poisoning by alcohol.
Overweight? A daily glass of wine can add 10lbs. per year to your weight.
Lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment which can promote risky behavior.

• Alcoholism is a disease.
• Alcohol is a drug.
• If a person drinks enough to raise the blood alcohol 0.200g% alcohol poisoning occurs; if too much alcohol is absorbed death is possible.
• Alcohol is the most common co-ingestant for drug overdoses.
• Choking to death on one's own vomit after alcohol overdose is a common occurrence.
• Alcohol inhibits blood from transporting oxygen to blood cells and when cells are deprived, they become impaired or die. The brain is the only body organ not equipped with pain fibers or the ability to produce new brain cells.

To learn more about the effects and signs/symptoms to be aware of please contact the West Virginia Poison Center.
 
 
 

Your Holiday Shopping List to a Poison Free Holiday Season!

The West Virginia Poison Center would like to offer the following suggestions to help keep you and your family in the spirit of
the holidays and out of the hospital! This time of year creates potential for accidental poisonings to happen in your home. If you
are expecting guests in your home, or a baby-sitter, you might want to create a chart with this very important information and
paste it to your refrigerator or telephone. To receive free WVPC telephone stickers please call 347-1212

                        Residence address
                        Residence phone #
                        Alternate phone #
                        Names, ages, weight of children:
                        Any known illness or allergies:
                        Location of First Aid Supplies and Syrup of
                        Ipecac:
                        Child's Doctor/Phone #
                        West Virginia Poison Center:   1-800-642-3635
                        Fire Dept/Police Dept.:

What to do if there is a poisoning:

     Stay calm, and keep the child calm
     Look in the mouth and remove any remaining pills, pieces of plants, etc.
     Call the parents or closest neighbor/relative
     Take the child and the poisoning substance to the phone and call the poison center
     Be prepared to answer questions (refer to the information above)
     The poison center will direct you on any further steps needed, if any
     Never give Syrup of Ipecac to a child unless instructed by the Poison Center
     Never have them vomit on their own without the advice of the Poison Center

What's Your Resolution?

Every new year we all make resolutions to help improve ourselves. The top two  resolutions made are to quit smoking and lose weight.  Fortunately, there are products on the market that can assist us in our goals.

It is up to you, the concerned parent, pet owner and care-giver to be aware of potential poisonings that can occur when these new products are brought into your home.

The West Virginia Poison Center would like to remind you to practice safety when using these products to avoid any accidental poisonings.
 

SMOKING CESSATION AIDS:

Products containing Nicotine:

Gum, Nasal Spray and Inhaler: Use as directed.  All can be extremely dangerous to children and pets.

Patch: If more than one used at a time, can be toxic.  Attention to disposal is necessary as even a used patch can contain dangerous levels of nicotine.

Zyban can cause seizures if accidentally ingested by a child or pet.

DIETING AIDS

Over the counter diet aids can cause significant poisoning in children.

Hazards of herbal products in overdose are unknown, and should not be assumed to be safe

Meridia® may cause increased blood pressure or seizures.
 
 
 

+Don't Let ...
     Your hobbies hurt someone you love!  The West Virginia Poison Center would like to help you enjoy your hobbies and prevent accidental poisonings.

If you enjoy:

 Soldering, stained glass crafts, oil painting and ceramics: You should be aware that most products used with these crafts contain unacceptable levels of lead.

 Photography and Processing Film: Dark room supplies require very little chemicals, but the ones used such as, Photo Flo, contain irritating detergents and photographic stop baths contain acids.

 Woodworking and refinishing furniture: Stripping agents, stains, dyes and contact adhesives contain toxic ingredients like toulene in contact adhesive, hydrocarbons in stains and dyes, and methylene chloride in stripping agents, which convert to carbon monoxide in the body.

These materials can enter the body through:

 Inhalation: dust fumes from soldering, aerosol spray cans, paint thinner, and shellacs can cause accidental poisonings.

 Ingestion: children biting their nails, storing chemicals/crafts in drinking cups, or spilling on the floor providing easy access for a child or pet.  Turpentine can be fatal if swallowed!

 Skin Contact: Burns or allergic reactions can result from the briefest contact with certain art materials.  Splashing or spraying of chemicals can also be dangerous.

It is up to you to remember safe habits: (1) Work in a well ventilated area (2) Use and Store materials in their original container     (3) Supervise young children (4) Dispose of old art materials properly (5) Keep out of reach of small children (6) Always clean up; your child and pet are inquisitive

When purchasing supplies, look for "conforms to ASTM-D-4236", this means it has been reviewed by a board-certified toxicologist.  Other safety symbols to look for are CP (certified product) and AP (approved product).

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac

POISON IVY, like POISON OAK and POISON SUMAC, contains a toxic oil called urushiol and is poisonous during every season of the year. The oil is so volatile that even the lightest contact can cause a reaction. Even smoke from burning poison ivy leaves can initiate the inflammation. Two misconceptions about poison ivy include that the blistery rash is contagious-this is false. You cannot catch poison ivy from the blistery fluid-poison ivy appears to be spreading, but is actually spreading from exposure at different times or to different parts of the body; and secondly using bleach on your skin or pet does not remove the oil, it will only cause irritation to the affected area. Poison ivy and poison oak are easily identified by their three leaf clusters and their whitish berries. The leaves may be smooth, shiny or dull and may vary in color depending on the season, while poison sumacs have green flowers and the fruit is white similar to poison ivy, the leaf has 7-9 leaflets; the sumacs with large red flowers and fruits are non-poisonous. All parts of poison ivy, poison oak and sumac are poisonous: the toxic oil resides in the stems, leaves, branches, flowers, and berries. Dead ivy, oak and sumac plants still contain the urushiol which can remain active and result in a break out.

If you come into contact with one of these plants, be sure to:

*Wash infected skin within 15 minutes if possible in cold water. The oil actually penetrates within 3 minutes, and most people will experience some dermatitis, but washing is useful as it can reduce the severity of the reaction.

*Change your clothing and laundry contaminated clothes with regular soap or detergent.

*Apply an anti-inflammatory to the affected area.

*If you see blisters DO NOT SCRATCH. A broken blister can become infected.