[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 10445-10446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6198]




[[Page 10443]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part V





The President





_______________________________________________________________________



Proclamation 6871--National Poison Prevention Week, 1996
 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 13, 1996 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 10445]]

                Proclamation 6871 of March 11, 1996

                
National Poison Prevention Week, 1996

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                 As we recognize National Poison Prevention Week, we 
                can be proud of the 35 years of public health efforts 
                that have dramatically reduced the number of childhood 
                deaths caused by poisoning. Measures such as child-
                resistant packaging and the lifesaving work of poison 
                prevention experts have raised awareness of this 
                important issue and given families and caregivers 
                strategies to safeguard young people from harm.

                 Nevertheless, the American Association of Poison 
                Control Centers estimates that over one million 
                children each year are exposed to potentially toxic 
                household materials. The Poison Prevention Week 
                Council, a coalition of 38 national organizations 
                dedicated to ending this threat, distributes valuable 
                information to poison control centers, pharmacies, 
                public health departments, and others to aid community 
                poison prevention efforts. In addition, the Consumer 
                Product Safety Commission has long required child-
                resistant packaging for a number of medicines and 
                household chemicals. The recent development of such 
                packaging that is easier for adults to open will mean 
                more conscientious use of hazardous products and a 
                decreased risk of accidental poisoning.

                 This week and throughout the year, we must remember 
                that small safety measures--such as using child-
                resistant packaging correctly and keeping harmful 
                substances locked away from children--can save lives. 
                And if a poisoning occurs, a poison control center can 
                offer emergency intervention. By keeping these simple 
                measures in mind, we can better protect our children 
                and make home safety a routine part of our daily lives.

                 To encourage the American people to learn more about 
                the dangers of accidental poisoning and to take 
                preventive steps, the Congress, by Public Law 87-319 
                (75 Stat. 681), has authorized and requested the 
                President to issue a proclamation designating the third 
                week of March of each year as ``National Poison 
                Prevention Week.''

                 NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of 
                the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 
                17 through March 23, 1996, as National Poison 
                Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe 
                this week by participating in appropriate ceremonies, 
                activities, and educational programs.
                
[[Page 10446]]


                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen 
                hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 96-6198
Filed 3-12-96; 10:20 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P