WHEREAS, the health, safety, and well-being of all Virginians are important to the happiness, livelihood, and prosperity of our Commonwealth’s families and communities; and

WHEREAS, more than 58,000 poison-related human exposures were reported in Virginia during 2021, of which over 42,000 were accidental or unintentional, nearly 13,000 were inflicted or intentional, almost 3,400 were adverse reactions, other or unknown poisonings; and

WHEREAS, ninety-two percent of all poison-related exposures reported to a poison center in Virginia occurred at a residence; and

WHEREAS, poisoning is a serious issue for children, with more than 22,000 poison-related exposure cases for children 5 years or younger being reported from our Commonwealth in 2021; and

WHEREAS, most accidental poisonings in children occur in the home, and it is incumbent on our Commonwealth to encourage parents and guardians of our youth to take such precautionary measures as storing poisonous materials in clearly labeled, child resistant packaging, and ensuring that such materials are locked away or stored up, away, and out of sight from children; and

WHEREAS, drug poisoning is the leading cause of unintentional death in Virginia, and poisoning from illicit fentanyl contributed to 76% of overdose deaths in Virginia in 2021, and combined, continues to constitute a public health crisis; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with poisoning by learning to recognize the signs and how to administer life-saving tactics for any situation, including an opioid overdose, while also recognizing Virginia’s poison centers for their prevention and treatment efforts; and

WHEREAS, on September 26, 1961, Congress authorized and designated the third week of March as “National Poison Prevention Week” to encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers of unintentional poisonings and to take appropriate preventative measures;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 19-25, 2023, as POISON PREVENTION WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.