[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 11 (Monday, March 18, 1996)]
[Page 475]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6871--National Poison Prevention Week, 1996

March 11, 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.
    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.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:20 a.m., March 12, 
1996]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March 
13.