The Washoe County Health District reports they are seeing a huge increase in the number of child poisonings. So with more kids getting a hold of poisonous materials, experts are hoping to save lives by educating the public.
Four workshop sessions are scheduled in two-hour blocks, and are free of charge.
All workshops will be held at the Washoe County Health District, Conference Rooms A & B, at 1001 East Ninth Street in Reno. Workshops will be conducted at the following times:
May 18th 6:30-8:30PM
May 19th 10:00-12:00PM
May 19th 6:00-8:00PM
May 20th 10:00-12: 00PM
We've heard about kids ingesting laundry detergent pods, but now the health district says they are getting more reports of children being exposed to liquid nicotine in e-cigarette refills. This recent surge in poisonings has concerned parents and childcare providers asking for help, so experts are sharing their knowledge.
"How you can poison proof your home. And make sure you keep those poisons out of the reach of children. And also what to do if you do encounter a situation where you think your child has been poisoned. What you can do to make sure you get help as fast as possible," said Phil Ulibarri, the communications manager with the Washoe County Health District.
The health district is offering these educational seminars in the hope of reducing emergency room visits and the length of hospital stays for poisoned patients. Because if people know what they can do if they experience or witness a poisoning, they could possibly prevent injury or death.
These free seminars are also offering continued education credits for nurses, teachers and daycare professionals. The overall goal is to inform the public on poisoning trends and how to prevent overdoses like e-cigarette nicotine in children.
"The packaging is very bright and colorful. There are all different kinds of flavors and kids might think these are liquid candies, and they're not. They can be very very deadly to an infant," said Ulibarri.
