National concern about poison prevention and establishment of an annual Poison Prevention Week began in Cape Girardeau through the efforts of the late Homer A. George, a pharmacist.

His campaign against accidental poisoning began in 1957.

George asked the Cape County Medical Association to establish a poison control center. As a result, Cape became the 26th town in the country to establish such a center. A year later, Poison Prevention Week was proclaimed as an official event by Cape's mayor.

A copy of the proclamation was sent to the Missouri governor, who then declared a statewide observance.

In 1959, Mr. George appealed to Rep. Paul Jones from Kennett to introduce a bill in Congress to authorize a national poison prevention act. Such legislation went into effect in 1962, under the late President John F. Kennedy.

Great Strides have been made

Deaths of Children under Age 5 Involving Medicines and Household Chemicals
Source: National Center for Health Statistics (mortality files)

However, the number of ingestions or exposures to household medicines and chemicals continues to be high. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that in 2001 there were 1,169,478 children age 5 and under exposed to potentially poisonous substances.