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WHEREAS, In 1972, Dr. Richard W. Moriarty, a Lawrenceville native and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, began the revision of the Pittsburgh Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, the majority of potential toxic exposures occurred in children and sometimes resulted in needless trips to an Emergency Room, Moriarty felt the need to develop a public poison prevention educational program; and,
WHEREAS, the previous poison warning symbol, a red skull and crossbones could be viewed as attractive to children; and,
WHEREAS, Studies with groups of children resulted in a sick-face symbol coupled with a fluorescent green background color were seen as a turn-off or "yukky". A new poison warning symbol had been christened; and,
WHEREAS, a public poison prevention educational program was developed around the Mr. Yuk symbol where sheets of Mr. Yuk stickers listed potentially dangerous household products and parents were to place a sticker on these items and to store them safely. Parents were urged to teach their children not to touch any item bearing a Mr. Yuk sticker; and,
WHEREAS, in order to prevent needless trips to the Emergency Room, all Mr. Yuk stickers carried a poison center's telephone number, which parents were to call first, when suspecting a potentially toxic exposure; and,
WHEREAS, due to the success of the poison prevention educational program and the national attention it received, other Poison Centers emulated the practices developed by the Pittsburgh Poison Center; and,
WHEREAS, More than 50 major Poison Centers across the United States have adopted the Pittsburgh Poison Center treatment practice standards and the Mr. Yuk poison prevention educational program; and,
WHEREAS, As a result of Dr. Moriarty's hard work Mr. Yuk continues to help protect today's children;
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare the day of October 1st,...
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