Holiday Help from the Poison Center
Season’s greetings from the Nebraska Poison Center! A friendly reminder that the holidays bring changes in routine and increase the risk of accidental exposure to poisons in the home. The Nebraska Poison Center would like to offer a few helpful holiday hints:
- Toys, games, watches, remotes, and musical greeting cards may contain button or disc batteries. If swallowed, they can become stuck and cause serious injury or death if not removed.
- Expanding water beads and rare earth magnets are fun to play with, but they are not suitable for people who may ingest them. Strong magnets can stick together in the intestines and become a medical emergency. If water beads are swallowed, they may swell and cause a blockage in the intestines.
- Alcoholic beverages are more readily accessible during gatherings. Clean immediately after gatherings and remove all items that may contain alcohol.
- Nicotine-containing products, including cigarettes, vape liquid, and chewing tobacco, are harmful if ingested. These products may cause shakiness, vomiting or seizures.
- CBD and THC products are often in brightly colored packaging that can easily be mistaken for candy or other food items for children. Keep these away from common areas, locked away and out of reach.
- Cleaning products should also be stored up and out of sight. Do not mix chemicals together when cleaning and follow all label directions for using these products.
- Encourage visiting friends and family to store medications up, out of sight and locked up tight, not out on a nightstand or counter. Keep all purses and bags secured and locked away.
- Keep small children and animals away from seasonal plants such as mistletoe, holly berries, yew plants and poinsettias.
The holiday season can bring joy and grief simultaneously. As seasonal calls to the Poison Center increase, so do calls about intentional harm. If you or a loved one are having thoughts of self-harm or are in a crisis, remember you are not alone. Please call 988 to reach the 24/7 National Suicide and Crisis Line for help.
Prevention is the best treatment for poisonings. The Poison Center’s specially trained registered nurses and pharmacists are available 24/7/365. If you have questions or a poisoning exposure, call 1-800-222-1222. The Poison Center provides a free and confidential service to the public.