The average household is filled with a variety of poisons. Often, these poisons are mundane chemicals that are placed in containers that don’t particularly stand out. Examples of this would be anti-freeze and rat poison, which often has arsenic as a component. In some cases, drugs such as sleeping pills are placed in child-proof containers that, ironically, only children ever seem able to open without too much frustration. The possibility of being chemically poisoned in one’s own home are much higher than when eating out. This does not mean that the chances of being poisoned are very high, though it is often prudent that the people in the household be aware of some of the basic steps to be taken in case someone appears to have been poisoned.
The first step is the oft-repeated, rarely actually performed words remain calm. Keeping calm is the first thing anyone who has been poisoned should do. There are several reasons why this is so critical. For starters, panicking is likely to get in the way of properly accomplishing typical first aid tasks to help keep the poisons’ side effects from kicking in too soon. Panic also makes it much harder for people to...