- Email: [email protected]
Community Action in Poison Prevention
community action in poison prevention by John T. Fay, director, APhA 's division of pharmaceutical services
M
ore pharmacists than ever before took recognition of the need for effective community action in M arch by participa tin g actively in National P oison P revention Week programs. The evidence is clear. For this fourt h obser vance of National Poison Prevention Week more self-help promotional ma terial than ever before was distributed by APHA. Ini tial estimates of required quanti t ies of streamers, labels, booklets and other materials had to be revised. More news clippings on poison prevention were received at APHA headquarters than in any previous year . More detailed repor ts from st at e and local pharmaceu tical associations were also received to underscore the enthusiastic response that the poison prevention project has provoked . T he 19G5 t heme "ST OP children was from playing ... with poison stressed in news releases, radio and TV spot announ cemen ts and feature programs, posters and displays, personal appearances and an innovative variety of other media. All of t he ma jor news media in the United St ates received quantities of explanatory material well in advance of the week of March 1420. Each year since t he firs t observance of National Poison P reven tion Week public response has increased and the response this year was a dramatic increase over 19G4. In all par ts of the United States pharmacists have shown an understanding of the opportunity fo r meaningful service that National Poison P revent ion Week provides. In the President ial proclamation issued J anuary 28, Ly ndon B. J ohnson saidI direct the appropriate agencies of the federal government and I invite state and local governments and organizations interested in child safety to participate actively in pro· grams designed to promote better protection against accidental poison· ing.
In most st ates and many communities pharmacists obtained local support for the Presidential proclamation. Among the st ates where pharmaceut ical groups stimulated gu bern atorial proclamations were New J ersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, M assachusetts, Arizona, Missouri , Michigan , Califo rnia and Wash234
ington. Mayors and other local governmental offi cials echoed t he proclam ations wit h the assistance of interested pharmacists. California-Governor Edmund G. Brown in his proclamation called attention to the activities of California pharmacists. The Southern California Pharmaceutical Association issued special materials to the general membership and the ladies' auxiliaries . In Northern Californ ia the NCPhA formed a poison prevention co· ordinating committee with the Cali· fornia Medical Society, the San Francisco chapter of the National Safety Council and the regional offices of USFDA and USPHS to avoid duplication of effort. Georgia-Excellent co·operation from in· dividuals and local groups was obtained by the state association . News media coverage was particularly good . Nearly 50,000 copies of the Amer ican Druggist counterdose chart were distributed . APhA materials were used extensively. Indiana- Extensive editorial and ad· vertising material appeared in news· papers across the state . A home show exhibit was prepared and staffed by the Richmond and Eastern Indiana Pharma· ceutical Association (see illustration). Maine-In an outstanding individual effort pharmacist Leslie M. Ohmart, Jr. of Brewer addressed some 6,000 school children in four communities and ob· tained radio, TV and newspaper coverage. Maryland-The APhA slidetalk "The Problem of Accidental Poisoning in the Home" was presented to many com· munity groups under the direction of Charles E. Spigelmire, public relations committee ch airman for the state as· sociation . Some 50,000 copies of a specially prepared leaflet on the dangers associated with aspirin were distributed as part of a joint campaign with the Baltimore safety council and city health department and the Maryland Academy of Pediatrics. Window display material was available also. Massachusetts-The state pharma· ceutical association provided members with special order forms for syrup of ipecac . Parents were asked to obta in a physician's signature and return it to the pharmacy for a free one·ounce container of the syrup to be used as an emetic. Similar programs were in effect in other states, often with the co·operation of local medical societies. When ipecac is used in this way, parents must be reo minded that before administering the emetic a physician's advice should be obtained . In some poisoning cases emesis may be harmful. This point stimulated controversy in Massachu· setts. Local associations in the western part of the state opposed the MSPA ipecac program because of this. Michigan-A resolution noting the Mich· igan State Pharmaceutical Association's poison prevention effort was passed by
Journ a l of the AMERICAN PHARMACEUTI CAL ASSOCIATION
the state senate in addition to Governor Romney's proclamation . Nearly 45,000 sheets of the striking·snake warn ing labels were distributed by 14 local as· sociations . In addition to broad cover· age in all news media two new counter posters were developed and distributed (see illustration). Nebraska-In the opinion of the state association secretary, Cora Mae Briggs, rad io spot announcements and feature programs were prominent in the week 's promotion . Most of the newspapers in Nebraska used one or more stories about poison prevention. New Jersey-Some 200,000 homes reo ceived a questionnaire test about Na· tional Poison Prevention Week from the member pharmacists of the state as· sociation. New Mexico-The February issue of "EI Boticario" was devoted primarily to poison prevention and included a list of 146 poisonous plants found in the state . New York-The state pharmaceutical society distributed a special ad mat with the legend "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure ." North Carolina-Members of the state association prepared special displays and letters to physicians and parents expl aining the ipecac program. They also visited physicians and addressed civic and church groups and service clubs. Pennsylvania - The state pharmaceutical association featured poison prevention in publications and supporting materials. In Philadelphia there was a successful poster contest for school children. Washington - The distribution of ipecac syrup as an antidote was an important feature of the local associations' pro· grams . In some areas the syrup was made available without charge and in others for a nominal fee . An illustrated chart on poisonous plants was prepared in co·operat ion with an orthopedic hos· pital. "Channel Magazine, " a television program guide, included the governor's proclamation and " a memo from your pharmacist" on the back cover of the issue for the week of March 14-20. Nearly 200,000 copies were distributed through pharm acies.
R epor ts were received also from T exas, Alabama , Mississippi , Virginia a nd Vermont . I n all of t hese reports t he conclusion was t he same- National Poison P revent ion Week -provides an u nusually good opportunity for public service by pharmacists. In a recent note t o APHA, H omer George of Cape Girardeau , M issouri , the pharm acist p rincipally responsible for t he instigation of National P oison P revention ' 'leek , wrote , " I believe this was t he best year yet ." •
Members of the Richmond and Eastern Indiana Pharmaceutical Association joined hands to prepare a home show exhibit to educate the public in poison prevention . The president of the associ ation, C. R. Stanley (left), and chairman of the poison Prevention Week committee, Richard Parrish, were among the members who volunteered t o staff the booth . David W. Craig , deputy ma yor of of Pittsburgh , signs a proclamation calling upon Pittsburghers to ob serve National Poison Prevention Week. Lookin g on are David P. Rosenfield (left) and David A . Boyd , president and executive secretary, respect ively, of the Allegheny County Pharmaceutical Association .
~
Samuel C. Southard (right), M D, director of the poison control center at Atlantic City Hospital, was presented a citation by Ephraim G. Siess (left), past president of the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, and Henry Knight, president of the Atlantic-Cape May County Pharmaceutical Association . Southard, who is also national chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics accident prevention com mittee , received the citation at an association meetin g where he discussed poison control .
'TM APOISON DETECTIVE" Counter posters like t hat at right were devel op ed and put to use in the extensive poi son prevention campaign carried on by the Michi gan Sta t e Pharmaceut ical Association .
~
FREE
Ilbell ","il"ble " ' your neighborhood phumlCY ' - -_ _....J Courtesy 01 Micnlg8n St a t e Pharmace ut ical Association
Poison prevention-themed comic books were distributed along with numerous pamphlets at this exhibit in an Arlington , Virginia medical buildin g. Pharmacist responsible for the exhibit was Roland P. Galley (left).
During Poison Prevention Week Leonor Reyes (left), student at the University of Southern California school of pharmacy, broad ~ cast 15-m inute talks in Spanish on the prevention of accidental ~ poisoning in the home . Working with Teddy Fregoso, a commen tator at KWKW , she reached an audience of Mexican-Americans not often included in public health efforts .
Vol. NS 5, No .5, May 1965
235
M
ore pharmacists than ever before took recognition of the need for effective community action in M arch by participa tin g actively in National P oison P revention Week programs. The evidence is clear. For this fourt h obser vance of National Poison Prevention Week more self-help promotional ma terial than ever before was distributed by APHA. Ini tial estimates of required quanti t ies of streamers, labels, booklets and other materials had to be revised. More news clippings on poison prevention were received at APHA headquarters than in any previous year . More detailed repor ts from st at e and local pharmaceu tical associations were also received to underscore the enthusiastic response that the poison prevention project has provoked . T he 19G5 t heme "ST OP children was from playing ... with poison stressed in news releases, radio and TV spot announ cemen ts and feature programs, posters and displays, personal appearances and an innovative variety of other media. All of t he ma jor news media in the United St ates received quantities of explanatory material well in advance of the week of March 1420. Each year since t he firs t observance of National Poison P reven tion Week public response has increased and the response this year was a dramatic increase over 19G4. In all par ts of the United States pharmacists have shown an understanding of the opportunity fo r meaningful service that National Poison P revent ion Week provides. In the President ial proclamation issued J anuary 28, Ly ndon B. J ohnson saidI direct the appropriate agencies of the federal government and I invite state and local governments and organizations interested in child safety to participate actively in pro· grams designed to promote better protection against accidental poison· ing.
In most st ates and many communities pharmacists obtained local support for the Presidential proclamation. Among the st ates where pharmaceut ical groups stimulated gu bern atorial proclamations were New J ersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, M assachusetts, Arizona, Missouri , Michigan , Califo rnia and Wash234
ington. Mayors and other local governmental offi cials echoed t he proclam ations wit h the assistance of interested pharmacists. California-Governor Edmund G. Brown in his proclamation called attention to the activities of California pharmacists. The Southern California Pharmaceutical Association issued special materials to the general membership and the ladies' auxiliaries . In Northern Californ ia the NCPhA formed a poison prevention co· ordinating committee with the Cali· fornia Medical Society, the San Francisco chapter of the National Safety Council and the regional offices of USFDA and USPHS to avoid duplication of effort. Georgia-Excellent co·operation from in· dividuals and local groups was obtained by the state association . News media coverage was particularly good . Nearly 50,000 copies of the Amer ican Druggist counterdose chart were distributed . APhA materials were used extensively. Indiana- Extensive editorial and ad· vertising material appeared in news· papers across the state . A home show exhibit was prepared and staffed by the Richmond and Eastern Indiana Pharma· ceutical Association (see illustration). Maine-In an outstanding individual effort pharmacist Leslie M. Ohmart, Jr. of Brewer addressed some 6,000 school children in four communities and ob· tained radio, TV and newspaper coverage. Maryland-The APhA slidetalk "The Problem of Accidental Poisoning in the Home" was presented to many com· munity groups under the direction of Charles E. Spigelmire, public relations committee ch airman for the state as· sociation . Some 50,000 copies of a specially prepared leaflet on the dangers associated with aspirin were distributed as part of a joint campaign with the Baltimore safety council and city health department and the Maryland Academy of Pediatrics. Window display material was available also. Massachusetts-The state pharma· ceutical association provided members with special order forms for syrup of ipecac . Parents were asked to obta in a physician's signature and return it to the pharmacy for a free one·ounce container of the syrup to be used as an emetic. Similar programs were in effect in other states, often with the co·operation of local medical societies. When ipecac is used in this way, parents must be reo minded that before administering the emetic a physician's advice should be obtained . In some poisoning cases emesis may be harmful. This point stimulated controversy in Massachu· setts. Local associations in the western part of the state opposed the MSPA ipecac program because of this. Michigan-A resolution noting the Mich· igan State Pharmaceutical Association's poison prevention effort was passed by
Journ a l of the AMERICAN PHARMACEUTI CAL ASSOCIATION
the state senate in addition to Governor Romney's proclamation . Nearly 45,000 sheets of the striking·snake warn ing labels were distributed by 14 local as· sociations . In addition to broad cover· age in all news media two new counter posters were developed and distributed (see illustration). Nebraska-In the opinion of the state association secretary, Cora Mae Briggs, rad io spot announcements and feature programs were prominent in the week 's promotion . Most of the newspapers in Nebraska used one or more stories about poison prevention. New Jersey-Some 200,000 homes reo ceived a questionnaire test about Na· tional Poison Prevention Week from the member pharmacists of the state as· sociation. New Mexico-The February issue of "EI Boticario" was devoted primarily to poison prevention and included a list of 146 poisonous plants found in the state . New York-The state pharmaceutical society distributed a special ad mat with the legend "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure ." North Carolina-Members of the state association prepared special displays and letters to physicians and parents expl aining the ipecac program. They also visited physicians and addressed civic and church groups and service clubs. Pennsylvania - The state pharmaceutical association featured poison prevention in publications and supporting materials. In Philadelphia there was a successful poster contest for school children. Washington - The distribution of ipecac syrup as an antidote was an important feature of the local associations' pro· grams . In some areas the syrup was made available without charge and in others for a nominal fee . An illustrated chart on poisonous plants was prepared in co·operat ion with an orthopedic hos· pital. "Channel Magazine, " a television program guide, included the governor's proclamation and " a memo from your pharmacist" on the back cover of the issue for the week of March 14-20. Nearly 200,000 copies were distributed through pharm acies.
R epor ts were received also from T exas, Alabama , Mississippi , Virginia a nd Vermont . I n all of t hese reports t he conclusion was t he same- National Poison P revent ion Week -provides an u nusually good opportunity for public service by pharmacists. In a recent note t o APHA, H omer George of Cape Girardeau , M issouri , the pharm acist p rincipally responsible for t he instigation of National P oison P revention ' 'leek , wrote , " I believe this was t he best year yet ." •
Members of the Richmond and Eastern Indiana Pharmaceutical Association joined hands to prepare a home show exhibit to educate the public in poison prevention . The president of the associ ation, C. R. Stanley (left), and chairman of the poison Prevention Week committee, Richard Parrish, were among the members who volunteered t o staff the booth . David W. Craig , deputy ma yor of of Pittsburgh , signs a proclamation calling upon Pittsburghers to ob serve National Poison Prevention Week. Lookin g on are David P. Rosenfield (left) and David A . Boyd , president and executive secretary, respect ively, of the Allegheny County Pharmaceutical Association .
~
Samuel C. Southard (right), M D, director of the poison control center at Atlantic City Hospital, was presented a citation by Ephraim G. Siess (left), past president of the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, and Henry Knight, president of the Atlantic-Cape May County Pharmaceutical Association . Southard, who is also national chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics accident prevention com mittee , received the citation at an association meetin g where he discussed poison control .
'TM APOISON DETECTIVE" Counter posters like t hat at right were devel op ed and put to use in the extensive poi son prevention campaign carried on by the Michi gan Sta t e Pharmaceut ical Association .
~
FREE
Ilbell ","il"ble " ' your neighborhood phumlCY ' - -_ _....J Courtesy 01 Micnlg8n St a t e Pharmace ut ical Association
Poison prevention-themed comic books were distributed along with numerous pamphlets at this exhibit in an Arlington , Virginia medical buildin g. Pharmacist responsible for the exhibit was Roland P. Galley (left).
During Poison Prevention Week Leonor Reyes (left), student at the University of Southern California school of pharmacy, broad ~ cast 15-m inute talks in Spanish on the prevention of accidental ~ poisoning in the home . Working with Teddy Fregoso, a commen tator at KWKW , she reached an audience of Mexican-Americans not often included in public health efforts .
Vol. NS 5, No .5, May 1965
235