in effect
This is a presidential proclamation (Proclamation 10905, signed March 18, 2025) — a ceremonial declaration, not a law or regulation. It designates March 16–22, 2025, as “National Poison Prevention Week” and calls on Americans to take steps to prevent accidental poisonings. It is issued under a 1961 joint resolution of Congress (75 Stat. 681) that authorizes the President to designate the third week of March each year for this purpose.
In practical terms, the proclamation changes nothing legally binding — it creates no new programs, rules, funding, or deadlines. It names the specific dates (March 16 through March 22, 2025) as the observance week and urges Americans to learn about poisoning dangers and safeguard their homes. It points to the Poison Help Line, 800-222-1222, as a free, confidential, around-the-clock resource. The document also describes actions the administration states it has already taken on drug-related poisoning: designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, imposing tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada, and seizing more than 1,600 pounds of fentanyl in the President’s first 30 days in office.
The proclamation is addressed to the general public — all Americans, whom it calls upon to observe the week and protect their families from household chemicals, medicines, and drugs like fentanyl. No agency, business, or individual is required to do anything as a result. It functions as an awareness and encouragement measure rather than a directive with enforceable obligations.