A warning for mushrooms foragers in Ohio and elsewhere: be careful about what you pick and eat. Unless you really know what you are doing and are very experienced, eating wild mushrooms can have catastrophic consequences. About 250 species of wild mushrooms that grow in North America are poisonous, according to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. And some look very much like mushrooms that are safe to eat. Even buying wild mushrooms from farmers markets and street vendors can be risky. And even experts can be fooled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about 1328 emergency department visits and 100 hospitalizations were associated with accidental poisonous mushroom ingestion in 2016. During the time period of 2016 to 2018, 8.6% of … [Read more...]
National Poison Prevention Week is 60; Drop in Child Poisoning Deaths
National Poison Prevention Week is 60 years old. There has been a dramatic drop in child poisoning deaths over the decades since this was started because of the efforts of the government and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement, "Decades of diligence and collaborative efforts have contributed to a dramatic decline in children being poisoned. Yet, progress is not guaranteed. Recent increases in fatalities demonstrate the need for continued vigilance and work to limit and eventually eliminate these preventable tragedies." National Poison Prevention Week started in 1962. Since then, this community, which includes the American Association of Poison Control Centers, consumer advocates, … [Read more...]