[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 13 (Monday, March 29, 2004)]
[Page 437]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7763--National Poison Prevention Week, 2004

 March 19, 2004

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Each year, approximately 1 million calls to poison control centers 
are made because children may have ingested harmful substances. The 
National Poison Prevention Week Council organizes activities annually to 
raise awareness of the danger of unintentional poisoning and to educate 
adults about how to avoid and handle these emergencies.
    Since the first National Poison Prevention Week in 1962, our Nation 
has taken important steps to protect children from consuming 
inappropriate medicines or household chemicals by heightening awareness, 
supporting poison control centers, and improving packaging. In December, 
I signed the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act 
Amendments of 2003 to provide assistance for poison prevention programs 
and to stabilize the funding of regional poison control centers. This 
measure supports those who are working to reduce poisonings in America 
and to improve the safety and health of all Americans.
    The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires child-resistant 
packaging for certain toxic medicines and chemicals. Because packaging 
is never completely child-proof, adults should also lock medicines and 
chemicals out of the reach of children.
    To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers of accidental 
poisonings and to take appropriate preventive measures, the Congress, by 
joint resolution approved September 26, 1961, as amended (75 Stat. 681), 
has 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, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, do hereby proclaim March 21 through March 27, 2004, as National 
Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week 
by participating in appropriate activities and by learning how to 
prevent poisonings among children.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day 
of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
eighth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11 a.m., March 22, 
2004]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March 
23. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.