[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 24, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 15775-15776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06252]



[[Page 15773]]

Vol. 86

Wednesday,

No. 55

March 24, 2021

Part II





The President





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Proclamation 10157--National Poison Prevention Week, 2021
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 55 / Wednesday, March 24, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 15775]]

                Proclamation 10157 of March 19, 2021

                
National Poison Prevention Week, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Sixty years ago, the Congress established National 
                Poison Prevention Week to remind all Americans to stay 
                vigilant and protect our families from the often hidden 
                threat of poisoning. Never has that reminder been more 
                timely than this year--9 out of 10 poisonings occur 
                inside the home, and with families spending more time 
                indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children and 
                isolated seniors are at an increased risk of accidental 
                poisoning that could result in injury or death.

                Young children are particularly vulnerable to 
                accidental poisoning because--as every parent knows--
                children tend to explore objects with their hands and 
                mouths. That's especially true when it comes to 
                products with floral or fruity aromas, or those that 
                come in colorful packaging. Hand sanitizer, household 
                cleaning products, laundry packets, medications, coin 
                cell batteries, and liquid nicotine are among the most 
                commonly ingested products; these and similar items 
                should be stored in child-resistant packaging and kept 
                out of sight and out of reach of children. Medications 
                should be secured and, if possible, locked away. And 
                unfinished or unused medicine should be properly 
                discarded--many pharmacies and police departments have 
                disposal kiosks for just that purpose.

                In 2019, approximately 67,500 of our Nation's children 
                under the age of 5 had to visit the emergency room due 
                to unintended poisoning. About 85 percent of these 
                incidents occurred in the home, most often because they 
                ingested blood pressure medications, acetaminophen, 
                bleach, ibuprofen, antidepressants, attention deficit 
                disorder medications, or laundry packets. Elderly 
                Americans are also at risk of mistaking medications and 
                ingesting household products; for seniors who are 
                isolated due to the pandemic, it is particularly 
                important to secure and clearly label medications and 
                poisonous substances.

                Poison control centers are a vital component of our 
                Nation's response to poisonings. Centers across the 
                United States operate around the clock and respond to 
                approximately three million calls every year from the 
                public, as well as from health care providers, 911 
                public-safety access points, health departments, law 
                enforcement, first responders, and other safety 
                agencies. They represent our first line of defense in 
                many cases, including when it comes to the opioid 
                epidemic that continues to devastate so many of our 
                families and communities.

                According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
                Prevention, overdose deaths have increased 
                significantly in the past several years. Opioids are 
                the main driver for this increase, killing nearly 
                47,000 people in the United States in 2018. Two out of 
                three opioid-involved overdose deaths involve synethic 
                opioids, including illegally manufactured fentanyl. 
                When used in combination with other drugs, with or 
                without the user's knowledge, it can be poisonous and 
                deadly.

                But even legal substances, like liquid nicotine, can 
                pose a deadly risk. Ingestion of small amounts of 
                liquid nicotine can be extremely hazardous and even 
                deadly to children, which is why the Consumer Product 
                Safety Commission has warned vape shops and other 
                retailers that selling liquid

[[Page 15776]]

                nicotine without proper packaging violates Federal law. 
                To avoid potential poisonings, always store liquid 
                nicotine in its child-resistant packaging, tightly seal 
                the container after each use, and keep it locked or 
                stored away from children.

                If you believe someone has been poisoned, immediately 
                call the Poison Control Help line at 800-222-1222. For 
                more information, go to poisonhelp.org.

                To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers 
                of unintentional poisonings and to take appropriate 
                preventive measures, on September 26, 1961, the United 
                States Congress, by joint resolution (75 Stat. 681), 
                authorized and requested the President to issue a 
                proclamation designating the third week of March each 
                year as ``National Poison Prevention Week.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 
                21 through March 27, 2021, to be National Poison 
                Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe 
                this week by taking actions to safeguard their families 
                from poisonous products, chemicals, and medicines often 
                found in our homes, and to raise awareness of these 
                dangers to prevent accidental injuries and deaths.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-06252
Filed 3-23-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P