National Poison Prevention Week begins on Saturday.

Bruce Krentz, Health Promotion Co-ordinator with the Northern Health Region has more.

“Each year, more than 4,000 Canadians lose their lives due to poisoning and annual unintentional poisoning deaths have now surpassed transport related deaths in Canada. There is a lot of potential poisons, some of the most common medications, household cleaners and cannabis products that can be in and around your home so it’s really important to know how to safely store those items.”

Prescription and over-the-counter medications are the leading cause of poisonings in Canada, with pain relievers being the most prevalent.

Household cleaners can be fragrant and brightly coloured and appealing to children, so storing them out of reach is important.

And, ingesting cannabis products is the most common cause of cannabis poisoning in children, with many edible cannabis products looking similar to candy.

In the case of poisoning, head to your local emergency room.  If it’s not urgent, there’s a 24-hour number to call.  That’s 1-844-764-7699.