Mr. Yuk 6/2010
Who is Mr. Yuk?
Children are naturally curious. They touch, smell, and taste things as a natural part of learning. Sometimes they learn too late that something is dangerous, poisonous, or fatal. Your home is filled with many products that make life easier and more pleasant as long as they are not eaten or inhaled by children, things like cosmetics, cleaning supplies, and medicines. You can identify these dangerous products with Mr. Yuk stickers and teach your children that his green, scowling face means danger. Mr. Yuk can say ‘No’ for you when you are not immediately available to protect your child. In addition, the Mr. Yuk stickers carry the telephone number of your Poison Center where an expert medical staff is ready to deal promptly with emergencies 24 hours a day. Mr. Yuk is ready to help you. He could save your child's life.
Mr. Yuk is a character exclusively appearing in small circular green stickers in the United States. He was originally the mascot for the poison center at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Since his creation in 1971, Mr. Yuk has since become a national entity to serve the greater cause of alerting people to the risks of poisonous-if-ingested materials, and what to do if someone somehow ingests these poisonous materials.
The Mr. Yuk symbol is used as a replacement for the traditional skull-and-crossbones warning label for poison. This is because some young children associate this symbol with pirates, and therefore may misinterpret it as an invitation to ingest the poison. In contrast, psychological studies have shown that most children are naturally repelled by Mr. Yuk, even if they haven't learned the symbol's meaning. The Mr. Yuk stickers are bold and obvious. The face of the disgusted Mr. Yuk warns anyone "do not eat or drink this."
Mr. Yuk stickers contain phone numbers of poison control offices that may give guidance if poisoning has occurred or is suspected.
Children act fast . . . So do poisons!
Ten Poison Prevention Tips
- Poison-proof your home by keeping medicines and household cleaning products, even those with safety caps, out of sight, out of reach, and preferably locked up.
- Never call medicine candy.
- Avoid taking medicine in front of small children. They tend to copy adult behavior.
- If your child swallows a substance that is NOT food, call the Idaho Poison Center, 1-800-222-1222, immediately.
- Keep the telephone numbers of the Poison Center and local hospital readily available.
- Keep a 1-ounce bottle of Ipecac Syrup in your home. Use it only if told to do so by the Idaho Poison Center or your doctor.
- Be extra careful to watch children during busy times or when you answer the doorbell or telephone.
- Use child-resistant containers and never store harmful substances in food or drink containers.
- Remember to place any purses or jackets containing medications out of children's reach.
- Do not leave loose pills anywhere children have access to them
- Put Mr. Yuk stickers on all poisonous products
- Keep the Poison Center number next to your phone - 1-800-222-122
How can I get Mr. Yuk materials?
Idaho pharmacists team up with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Emergency Medicaid Services to combat childhood poisonings by providing Poison Prevention materials to parents, caregivers, and other interested individuals.
Online, click here to order poison prevention materials
By phone, dial 2-1-1 to order poison prevention materials
Help! I have a Poison Emergency!
By phone, anyone with a poison emergency can get help by calling the toll-free hotline that links callers from anywhere in Idaho to medical experts at the local poison control center 1-800-222-1222.
Calls will be routed to the local poison control center. More than three-quarters of poison exposures can be treated over the phone with help from poison experts, according to the Poison Control Association. Poison experts can help in emergencies and answer questions about medicines, insect bites, household products and other potentially dangerous substances.