Friendship Inn to resume in-house service

By JAson klAiBEr Staff Writer

After a nearly three-year break, Friendship Inn Cazenovia will be reopening for in-house service on Monday, March 20 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Through the COVID pandemic, the weekly outreach program meant to revolve around food and camaraderie has steadily distributed 75 to 80 meals on a first-come, firstserved basis.

“I know that many of our older clients have been looking forward to it because it’s their time of fellowship with others that they missed so much,” said Duane Moore,

Meals l Page 4

The Key Consignment Shop in Cazenovia, NY is seeking an Executive Director. Executive Director needs to be energetic, excellent with people, capable with numbers and creative. Retail and personnel management experience required. This is a part-time salaried position of approximately 20 hours per week reporting to the Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Cazenovia, NY. For more information and to submit your résumé please contact: parishoffice@stpeterscaz.org or 315-655-9063.

Poison prevention

According to poisonhelp.hrsa.gov, in 1961, Congress established National Poison Prevention Week to raise awareness, reduce unintentional poisonings, and promote poison prevention.

The website goes on to say that this effort is sponsored by the National Poison Prevention Week Council. Each year, the council holds a children’s artwork contest to raise awareness about poisons. Additionally, poison centers across the country conduct activities to raise awareness of the dangers of poisoning.

While this week is officially acknowledged as the third week in March, it is an issue that is not limited to just a week and is well worth being aware of year round.

President Joe Biden shared some statistics in his proclamation in March.

Biden said each year, more than 2 million poisoning cases are reported in the United States — some of which are tragically fatal, but many of which are preventable.

While we have made great strides in the decades since National Poison Prevention Week was first observed 60 years ago — including a decline in unintentional poisoning — poisoning remains a risk, especially for children and older Americans. During National Poison Prevention Week, we raise awareness about the dangers posed by poisonous substances, precautions people can take to prevent an incident, and how to respond in a poison emergency, Biden said.

His proclamation said each year, an average of 31 children die from unintended poisonings at home, and an estimated 75,000 children under the age of five end up in hospital emergency departments from poisoning. Approximately 85 percent of unintentional poisonings take place in the home where medicines and harmful chemicals are stored.

The president said to help prevent children from unintentionally ingesting poisonous household products, it is important to keep these products out of their sight and beyond their reach.

Items such as hand sanitizer, laundry detergent, medications, coin cell batteries, cleaning products, and liquid nicotine should be stored in child-resistant packaging.

Medications should be safely secured, and if unused, properly discarded. For elderly Americans it is important that household products are secured in their original packaging and that medications are clearly labeled to avoid accidental ingestion or the mistaking of medications, Biden said.

The disposal of prescription and other medications is an area that can of particular concern.

While it is recommended that medications be taken until finished unless otherwise advised by a medical professional, it is not uncommon for medications to be leftover and it is difficult to know what to do with these as they should not simply be thrown out of washed down the drain.

In some communities police stations or other location have drop boxes that allow for medications and other substances to be dropped off anonymously.

In some instances pharmacies like Kinney Drugs have established disposal locations.

Coinciding with prevention week, Kinney announced it will offer kiosks to dispose of unneeded medications, including leftover and expired medications.

The kiosks accept prescription and over-the-counter medications for both humans and pets, including controlled substances.

The kiosks are not for disposal of sharps/needles (including EpiPens), medical/biohazardous waste, regular or hazardous household trash, or personal care products.

The president went on to say healthcare professionals work around the clock addressing poisonings and he said that if anyone suspects a poisoning to call the Poison Control Help line at 800-222-1222.

For more information, go to poisonhelp.hrsa.gov.

Biden said raising awareness if crucial to saving lives and these resources can help people learn more about what they can do to keep themselves and others safe.