
Established in 1961 by Congress, National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW) was originated to raise awareness of poison prevention and safety. NPPW is celebrated and observed every year during the third week in March, and we hope you will join us in spreading awareness of poison dangers and prevention.
Today, poisoning remains the leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. More people die of poisoning every year than gun or car-related injuries. In 2022, U.S. Poison Centers responded to 2,427,974 total cases, on average receiving a new case every 15 seconds.
NPPW helps to raise awareness of prevention, and the best prevention of a poison emergency we have is to have Poison Help’s contact information saved and on hand in case of accidental exposure.
Here are a few simple ways you can get involved in raising awareness of poison prevention and safety:
- Be Prepared: Save the Poison Help line number to your phone. The best prevention is to have poison helps contact information on hand in case of an exposure. 1-800-222-1222
- Spread Awareness: We have created a number of tools and social media resources in both English and Spanish to help you raise awareness and educate others about poison prevention and safety.
Partner Toolkit & Resources
The partner toolkit is for individuals and organizations to promote poison prevention in their communities. Within the toolkit you will find downloadable images for different social media platforms and suggested posts for every day of national poison prevention week.
NPPW Partner Toolkit
Banner Images

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Facebook

Website

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National Poison Prevention Week Council
America’s Poison Centers is proud to host The National Poison Prevention Week Council. The NPPW Council consists of a passionate team of individuals, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses who sponsor a nationwide contest and other activities to engage the community in helping to encourage the safety of children and adults.
The National Poison Prevention Week Council is hosting their annual contest to raise poison safety awareness among students K-12 nationwide. Did you know poisonings are the leading cause of injury deaths in the U.S.? Or that over half of the cases managed by poison centers are for kids and teens? We can all take steps to prevent poisoning. Your help could save a life!
Deadline for entry February 4, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
MAKE A POSTER OR A VIDEO TO:
- Tell your friends about poison dangers lurking at home, at school, or even outdoors.
- Share some tips to stay safe from poisoning.
- Teach others about the Poison Help line: a source for free and immediate expert help.
- MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
- You Could Win A Cash Prize! For More Information, Read The Details Below.
- Need some inspiration?
Video Contest: Kids in Grades 5-12
- WHO: U.S. students in grades 5-12
- WHAT: Create a short video (2 min or less)
- HOW:
- Decide if you want to work solo or with a group of friends (up to 4 total per group)
- Come up with your poison safety topic
- Plan the video to tell a story and make sure to include all the must-have elements listed below:
- The Poison Help line phone number: 1-800-222-1222
- The Poison Help logo, which can be found HERE
- 2 minutes or shorter in length
- Reminder: videos should NOT include any images, gifs, clips, or other elements of any commercial brands or characters, any copyrighted music or sounds, or pet poisoning topics.
- Shoot the video
- Submit the video by February 4, 2025 – HERE
- PRIZES:
- Grand Prize: $1,000 total (split 50/50 student/sponsor org), and paid trip to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2025.
- 1st Place Grade 5-8 and Grade 9-12: $200 total for each of the Grade level winners (split 50/50 student/sponsor org), and an invitation to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2025.
- People’s Choice: $100 for the People’s Choice Winner, and an invitation to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2025.
Poster Contest: Kids in Grades K-4
- WHO: U.S. students in grades K-4
- WHAT: Create a poster or drawing
- HOW:
- Make a poster or drawing that tells your friends about poison dangers lurking at home, at school, or even outdoors. Or you can draw a tip that they can use to stay safe from poisoning.
- Make sure you have included all of the necessary elements listed below:
- The Poison Help line phone number: 1-800-222-1222
- The Poison Help logo, which can be found HERE
- Reminder: posters should NOT include any images, gifs, clips, or other elements of any commercial brands or characters, any copyrighted music or sounds, or pet poisoning topics.
- Submit the poster or drawing by February 4, 2025 – HERE
- Only one entry per student
- PRIZES:
- Grand Prize: $200 total (split 50/50 student/sponsor org), and an invitation to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2025.
- 1st Place Grade K-2 and Grade 3-4: $100 total for each of the grade level winners (split 50/50 student/sponsor org), and an invitation to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2025.
- People’s Choice: $50 for the People’s Choice Winner, and an invitation to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 17, 2025.
ARCHIVED EVENTS
2024 Archived Events:
2023 Archived Events:
2022 Archived Events:
Activities for Children
- Poison Prevention Hero Resources
- Tox Tales
Activities for Teens
- Poison Trivia on Kahoot!
- Career Day
Activities for Adults
- Poison Myths vs. Facts
- Poison Brain Games
2021 Archived Events:
Activities
Parents and guardians, join us as we kick off #NPPW21 with an AAPCC and SafeKids discussion on ways to prepare, prevent, and protect against poisonings.
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Virtual Storytime and Tox Tales
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Looking for a fun and creative way to teach your little ones about poisonous creatures? Join us this #NPPW21 for Storytime: “Poison Alert!: My Tips to Avoid Danger Zones or Home” and Tox Tales: Creepy Crawlies and Venomous Creatures.
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Toxic Trivia for Teens: A Not-So-Trivial Quiz Game
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Looking for a fun and creative way to teach teens about poisons? Join us for a #NPPPW21 Kahoot Tox Trivia Game. The game will introduce basic poisoning prevention concepts relevant to teens (i.e. vaping dangers, childhood poisoning prevention, and how the poison center can help).
Direct Link to “Toxic Trivia For Teens” Kahoot: Click Here
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Tox Talk: When Life Happens…We Have Answers
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Join us for a #NPPW21 Tox Talk: When life happens…we have answers. This Tox Talk will feature 2 specialists in poison information from the Georgia Poison Center and the Missouri Poison Center and 2 educators from the Washington Poison Center and Virginia Poison Center. Learn about poison centers and the type of calls we receive.
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Virtual Escape Room – Can you solve the poison prevention riddles?
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Can you solve the poison prevention riddles? Learn about potential poisons found in the home with the #NPPW21 Virtual Escape Room.
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