The United States Congress established National Poison Prevention Week in 1961 (P.L. 87-319). Shortly thereafter, the Poison Prevention Week Council was organized to coordinate this annual event and promote poison prevention.

Now 50 years later, the Council continues to use National Poison Prevention Week to highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them.

Join the Council in preventing poisonings every day and help ensure the safety of children and adults in your home and your community. Take a few minutes to visit the National Poison Prevention Week Council Web site at www.poisonprevention.org and learn about poison prevention. To help raise awareness about poisoning, the Council encourages Cleaning Matters ® readers to follow it at www.twitter.com/PoisonPrevent and join the group on Facebook .

Nancy Bock, Vice President of Consumer Education at American Cleaning Institute, says there are three things families can do to prevent poisonings in the home: read the label, store products in their original containers and keep all cleaning supplies out of the reach of children. For more dos and don'ts, download and share  Home Safe Home for Your Little Explorer and You.

Click the images below to download the 2012 Poison Prevention Week posters.