Poison Prevention Program

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Glenna Ditchcreek and Gina Tusing recently delivered the Poison Prevention Program to the first graders at Central Cambria Elementary. The Poison Prevention Program educates students about how to prevent accidental poisonings in the home and what to do if a poisoning occurs.
Students also learn about the definition of a pest and the components of integrated pest management. Educators discuss signal words that can be seen on chemicals and how a Mr. Yuk sticker can alert families to a potentially poisonous product. Mr. Yuk, a green symbol developed by the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital, displays the phone number for the National Poison Center.
At the conclusion of the program, the students are given a take-home packet, which includes Mr. Yuk stickers and a family homework assignment.
Sponsored by the Pesticide Education Program in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, the statewide Poison Prevention Program in 2016 will reach more than 14,000 first grade students in 29 counties.
For more information about poison safety and to learn how you can get Mr. Yuk stickers for your home, visit the website http://extension.psu.edu/pesticide-education.