Don’t Always Trust What You Read on the Internet

You are watching a movie and you recognize an actor and want to know what else they have been in.  What do you do? You “Google it.”

You are reading a book or magazine and come across a word that you don’t know the meaning of. You likely don’t have a dictionary anymore, so you “Google it.”

You want to know where the best place to go for Italian food, or you want to know the fastest way to get to your son’s soccer game, or you want to see what kind of plants grow best in shade…all are appropriate times to “Google it.”

Your daughter just ate some ibuprofen or your son just drank some floor cleaner. Would you choose to “Google it” in these scenarios?

When you submit a query, Google looks for relevant search results, but it doesn’t know what is true and what isn’t true. Some of the results may contradict each other. Different users can get different results for the same question. The results are not in any particular order and they are for general situations. The information may even be outdated. And how long will it take to read through all of the search results you get?

You should ask yourself, is this really the best way to find out what to do after your child has eaten something they shouldn’t have? Hopefully, you realize that no…this is not the best way to get the correct advice.

The best way to find out what to do only takes 10 key strokes. Dial 800-222-1222. It is that simple. You will speak directly with a poison expert—a pharmacist or nurse with special training—who will give you the correct information right away. The information you receive will be specific for your situation. The specialist will know whether you can take care of the situation at home or if you need help from a healthcare provider. They will tell you what to watch out for and will even call back to make sure you are doing okay.  Can Google do all of this?

Now there are two things calling the poison center has in common with Google…we are free and we are available 24/7.

So the next time you want to know how to make the best chocolate chip cookies…go ahead and “Google it.”  But if you think a poisoning or overdose has happened, don’t Google, just call.