[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/childhood-poisoning-prevention-information\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/childhood-poisoning-prevention-information\/","headline":"Mistaken Identities – Poison Prevention","name":"Mistaken Identities – Poison Prevention","description":"If it looks like cherry soda and it smells like cherry soda,\u00a0then it must be cherry soda \u2014 right? Not always. Pretend for a moment that you are a hungry, thirsty and very curious young child who is exploring your home looking for something to eat or drink. You can\u2019t read labels\u00a0so you rely on […]","datePublished":"2014-03-15","dateModified":"2018-08-29","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/poison-center","name":"Pittsburgh Poison Center","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/poison-center","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/poison-center\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/mistaken-identities-teaser.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/mistaken-identities-teaser.png","height":527,"width":791},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/childhood-poisoning-prevention-information\/","about":["Pediatrics","Safety"],"wordCount":494,"keywords":["children","Mr. Yuk","Pittsburgh Poison Center","poison","poison prevention"],"articleBody":"If it looks like cherry soda and it smells like cherry soda,\u00a0then it must be cherry soda \u2014 right? Not always. Pretend for a moment that you are a hungry, thirsty and very curious young child who is exploring your home looking for something to eat or drink. You can\u2019t read labels\u00a0so you rely on your most basic instincts and senses to understand the world around you. Your world is centered on taste, sight, touch and smell. If something looks pretty, feels nice or smells good,\u00a0you might think it tastes good and is good for you.Play the MISTAKEN IDENTITIES GameTest your knowledge of some common look-alike household products. Can you identify each item?\u00a0In the following groups of products, guess the letter of the product that could be potentially poisonous.Remember: There could be more than one dangerous substance in a group.\u00a0Can you be sure what you\u2019re looking at? Are those pills or candy?\u00a0Is that cherry soda or lamp oil? Remember these poison prevention tipsYoung children are curious; things that look or smell good may end up in their mouths. Keep all potentially poisonous products up and out of the reach of children.Store poisons in their original containers.Use child-resistant packaging. But remember \u2014 nothing is child-proof.Read labels and follow the directions on all medicines and products.Lock products and medicines up after using them.If children are around, take the product or medicine with you if you need to leave the room.Call medicine by its proper name. Never call it candy.Children learn by imitation. Take your medicine where children can\u2019t watch.Many unintentional poisonings occur near mealtimes when children are hungry. Poisons can look like food and drink. Teach children to ask an adult before eating or drinking anything. Pay close attention to young\u00a0children, especially at mealtimes.Children think that all poisons smell bad. Teach your children that things that smell good also may be harmful.Children think they can only be poisoned if they eat or drink something harmful. Teach your children that a poison is something that can cause injury, illness or death if you eat, drink or breathe it, or even get it on your skin or in your eyes.\u00a0IdentitiesTASTE:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is it yummy or yucky?SIGHT: \u00a0\u00a0 Is it pretty or ugly?TOUCH:\u00a0\u00a0Does it feel soft and smooth like preschool toys or sharp like a pin?SMELL:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Does it smell sweet or foul?Look around your home. There probably are many common household\u00a0products \u2014 stored within your child\u2019s reach \u2014 that might be appealing to a young child because of the way they taste, look, feel or smell. When used correctly, household products are safe and\u00a0useful. However, children unintentionally swallow products like mouthwash, furniture polish and dish detergent every day. Potential poisons are everywhere.You can learn more poison prevention tips and information about Mr. Yuk at the Pittsburgh Poison Center website."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2014","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Mistaken Identities – Poison Prevention","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2014\/03\/childhood-poisoning-prevention-information\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]