Poison Prevention Week 2026
Today kicks off Poison Prevention Week (March 15–21) and the #RethinkPoisons campaign.
To mark the occasion, the OPC has coordinated a number of city illuminations, mayoral proclamations, press releases, activities, webinars, and promotional materials to help raise awareness throughout the week. Scroll below to learn more.
Illuminations
Ontario is kicking things off with 20 landmark illuminations (see below). If you’re in one of the locations at the right time, feel free to snap a photo and tag us.
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Location: |
Date: |
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Toronto City Sign |
March 15th, 2026 |
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Niagara Falls |
March 20th, 2026 @ 10:15 |
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Waterluminate Uptown Waterloo Light |
March 19th, 2026 & March 20th, 2026 |
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Vaughan City Hall |
March 15th, 2026 |
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Ottawa City Sign |
March 19th, 2026 & March 16th, 2026 |
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Brampton Clock Towers |
March 15th, 2026 |
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Fred A. Lundy Bridge |
March 19th, 2026 |
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Mississauga Clock Towers |
March 15th, 2026 |
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London City Hall, RBC Place, and the JA Taylor building at Wellington and Dundas |
March 15th, 2026 |
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The Peace Bridge |
March 19th, 2026 |
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Sarnia City Hall & Sarnia Waterfront Sign |
March 15th, 2026-March 21st, 2026 |
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Collingwood Clock Tower |
March 15th, 2026-March 21st, 2026 |
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Burlington Pier |
March 16th, 2026 |
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Hamilton City Sign |
March 18th, 2026-March 19th, 2026 |
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Peterborough City Hall |
March 15th, 2026 & March 21st, 2026 |
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Oakville Town Hall |
March 16th, 2026-March 21st, 2026 |
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CN Tower |
March 18th, 2026 |
Proclamations
Municipal leaders across Ontario have issued mayoral proclamations recognizing Poison Prevention Week, alongside a provincial acknowledgement from the Premier.
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Location: |
Proclaimer: |
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Ontario |
Premier Doug Ford |
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Aurora |
Mayor Tom Mrakas |
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Pickering |
Mayor Kevin Ashe |
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Orillia |
Mayor Don Mcisaac |
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Ottawa |
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe |
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Brampton |
Mayor Patrick Brown |
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Toronto |
Mayor Olivia Chow |
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Newmarket |
Mayor John Taylor |
***Email acknowledgement from Manitoba Deputy Minister (not full proclamation)
Articles & Media
Parachute release: Pain Medications remain the leading cause of poison centre calls in Canada
Village Media article: National Poison Prevention Week 2026: Rethinking poisons in your home
Technical Standards Safety Authority (TSSA) & Ontario Poison Centre joint release
Distributed to 33 local news sites, including Toronto Today
SickKids LinkedIn post highlighting Janice He and our SPIs (dropping this week)
SickKids Daily News feature
Feature in the Spring Safety Booklet to be distributed to 140,000+ households across Kingston, St. Catharines, and the Niagara region
Grey Bruce District School Board newsletter
Several other Public Health Unit newsletters
Social Media & Digital Promotion
Poison Prevention Week Social Media Graphic Toolkit: https://parachute.filecamp.com/s/o/vmRIPW6fh6okQ6kY
Backgrounder: https://parachute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/NPPW2026-Backgrounder-E.pdf
These resources will be distributed across our social media channels with 20+ planned posts. Feel free to share within your networks and use the hashtags #ReThinkPoisons #NPPW2026.
Several partners and Public Health Units have also agreed to participate in the campaign.
Parachute videos (please share widely):
Digital signage is also live across the hospital throughout the week.
On-Site Booths & Engagement
SickKids Atrium Booth, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
Additional engagement this week:
- AboutKidsHealth – poison prevention content and promotion
- SickKids Injury Prevention –joining the booth on Tuesday
- TSSA – Susy Ceolin joining the booth on Wednesday
Clinical & Unit-Based Activities
- Nursing Unit Engagement– Swag and educational handouts for nursing units
- Child Life– Resources and colouring books for kids and families
- Other departments and clinics– Colouring books and Poison Centre business cards for waiting rooms
- Shoppers Drug Mart– Business cards and poison prevention resources distributed to clients picking up medications
Education & Learning Opportunities
Strategies for Effective Poison Prevention Community Outreach and Communication: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. EDT
Featuring:
- Chad Larabie, Ontario Poison Centre
- Samantha Bruin, BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit
👉 Register: https://parachute.ca/poisonwebinar
V Acetylcysteine (NAC) Frontline Provider Sessions
Promotion is underway for 15-minute drop-in sessions reviewing:
- Updated IV NAC protocol dosing
- A typical case scenario with an OPC poison specialist
Please feel free to share with your networks and colleagues: https://www.ontariopoisoncentre.ca/health-care-providers/revised-iv-acetylcysteine-nac-protocol-launching-april-1-2026/