Terms and Conditions

PRIVACY POLICY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
AMERICA’S POISON CENTERS
America’s Poison Centers (“Association”), a non-profit organization based in Arlington, Virginia, takes user privacy seriously.  This Privacy Policy outlines the information collected from users of PoisonHelp.org (“PoisonHelp.org” or “Website”) and how that information is used, shared, and protected by the Association.  In addition to this Privacy Policy, users of the Site should review PoisonHelp.org’s Terms and Conditions attached herein, for any additional terms or conditions that may apply.

What Personal Information is Collected and How The Association Uses It:

The Association may collect personally identifiable information through the Website, including names, addresses, Zip or postal codes, and email addresses, when voluntarily submitted by a user.  The Association does not collect personally identifiable information from users without user permission. Website access is not contingent on user registration or disclosure of personal information. Once collected, the Association may combine information submitted with other information from external sources.

The Site automatically collects the Internet Protocol (IP) address of computers that access the site. An IP address is a number that is assigned to a computer when it is used to access the Internet.  IP addresses are used by the Association to determine a user’s zip code and state code; once we have this location information the IP address is deleted. IP addresses may also be collected by the Site’s web hosting platform, Amazon Web Services.  Please see Amazon Web Service’s website for additional information concerning their use of IP address information.

In addition, the Website also collects information concerning users’ browsing history on the Website and any information inputted by users into the Website. This information can be coupled with a user’s voluntarily entered data (collectively the “Case”) and is uploaded to the National Poison Data System (“NPDS”). The information is used to both assist the public with toxicology-related issues and for overall public health data trending. The Case does not include personally identifiable user information.

Personally identifiable information users voluntarily provide is used by the Association to personalize the services and experience, to answer your questions/requests, communicate with you about your situation and support public health research.

Information may, when needed, may also be used to run/administer our website and for internal operations, to measure or understand the effectiveness of our website and to analyze and improve our work, services, or information, to audit and/or administer our accounts; to report on the impact and effectiveness of our work; to satisfy legal obligations which are binding on us, for the prevention of fraud or misuse of services, for the establishment, defense and/or enforcement of legal claims and to foster our non for profit public health efforts. We do not request or store social security numbers from users.  Any financial information voluntarily provided, for example, to make a donation, is collected securely.

The Association may send e-mails pertaining to the Association or the Association-approved third parties.  The Association stores data for larger public health trending.

How We Share Personal Information We Collect:

Except where set out in this Policy, we do not sell or rent your PII/PHI to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share personally identifiable information with third-parties only in a manner consistent with this policy, which may include things like:

To comply with legal processes such as a subpoena or court order or to otherwise protect your or our legal rights;

  • When the person providing the information authorizes us to share it;
  • When an individual chooses to share information with an intermediate service provider in furtherance of our operations or operations of the Website (e.g. to process a donation that you make or to fulfill a request that you make);
  • For other purposes for which you provided the information.

The Association has no control over or responsibility for the data collection or use practices of third parties that process online transactions.  If, for example, you make a donation to us using PayPal or a similar third-party payment provider, information necessary for processing the transaction is transmitted to the payment provider and is subject to that third party’s own privacy policy. We otherwise do not share this online transaction information we receive from a users.

The Association owns all information and data uploaded to the NPDS from PoisonHelp.org. Consistent with this Policy, the Association retains the right to license and/or disclose non-PHI/PII NPDS information and data at its discretion.

The Association reserves the right to share aggregate statistics about visitors to the Website, Website traffic patterns and related information third parties. the Association may sometimes be aggregated or de-identified information concerning users’ zip codes and state codes with Member Poison Centers (“Member Centers”) affiliated with the Association. The information provided to the Member Centers is done consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Member Centers also have regular access to the NPDS and can view user Case files. Users who contact a Member Center through the Association’s 1-800 number may be asked to provide various information to support the Association efforts to assist them.  This policy does not apply to information requested by and/or collected by Member Centers.  Users should consult with Member Centers concerning Member Center policies governing privacy.

Personal information may be collected or processed by third parties and affiliates of the Association, but will not be shared or used in such a way that an individual is identified.

Except as noted above the Association does not provide any third party with user IP addresses, or information derived from user IP addresses.

Protecting User Privacy:

The Association uses reasonable security measures to protect the confidentiality of personal information under our control and appropriately limit access to it. The Association, however, cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information users transmit to us, and users do so at their own risk. We have taken reasonable steps to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of personally identifiable information that users may provide.

Cookies:

The Website also uses “Cookies” to collect non-personal information about users’ use of PoisonHelp.org. “Cookies” are small data files that are stored on the hard drive of the computer used to view a Website. Every computer that accesses the Website is assigned a different “Cookie” by the Website. “Cookies” are used for several reasons including customization of user experience on the Website, tracking a user’s click path through PoisonHelp.org, and determining whether a computer has been used previously to visit the Website.

Most browser software can be set to reject “Cookies” and offer instructions on how to reset the browser to reject “Cookies” in the “Help” section of the toolbar. If a user rejects our Cookies, certain functions on PoisonHelp.org may not work properly, but a user does not have to accept our “Cookies” to use the Website.

Email Communications and Related Services:

Email communications that users send to the Association via the email links on our Website may be shared with employees or agents of the Association in order to address user inquiries.

The Association cannot guarantee that emails submitted by users through the webite will be completely secure or confidential. Although unlikely, it is possible that email communications may be accessed or viewed by another party while in transit to us. We strongly encourage users to keep this in mind when submitting email and to avoid including sensitive or confidential information in email submitted through the Website.

Do Not Track:

PoisonHelp.org does not track users over time and across third party websites to provide targeted advertising and therefore the website does not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals.

Children’s Privacy:

The Association is committed to protecting children’s privacy on the Internet, and does not knowingly or intentionally collect personal information from children. As noted in the Terms and Conditions, the Website is intended for use only by individuals who are at least 13 years old. Parents and guardians may contact the Association at info@PoisonCenters.org to review and remove the personal information of their children that may have been inadvertently collected from their child’s website access.

Links To Other Websites:

PoisonHelp.org may contain links to other Association affiliated websites and third party websites (“linked sites”) for users’ convenience and information. Linked sites may have their own privacy policies or notices, which we strongly suggest users review should they visit any linked sites. The Association is not responsible for the content of any websites that are not affiliated with the Association, any use of those websites, or the privacy practices of those websites.

Privacy Policy Updates:

The Association will periodically review and update this Privacy Policy as necessary and reserves the right to change or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes to this Policy will be effective upon being posted to PoisonHelp.org unless stated otherwise. Users are encouraged to periodically review this website for the latest information on our privacy practices.  Use of the Website constitutes acceptance of the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Contact Information:

For any questions concerning this Privacy Policy please contact:

America’s Poison Centers

4601 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 630
Arlington, Virginia 22203

info@PoisonCenters.org

This Policy is effective January 1, 2022.  This policy was last updated in October 2022.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE
POISONHELP.ORG
General:

The Association is a non-profit organization based in Arlington, Virginia in the United States of America.  America’s Poison Centers (“Association”) respects the privacy of its website users at PoisonHelp.org (“Website”). The Website, and any materials and information contained on the Website (“Site Content”), are wholly owned by the Association. In combination with the Association Privacy Policy above, this Terms and Conditions Policy describes the standards and expectations of website use by individuals that access the the Association Website (“User” or “Users”).

The Association may modify these Terms and Conditions at any time, and any such modifications shall be effective upon the posting of the modified Terms and Conditions on the Website. Access and use of this Website constitutes agreement with and awareness of the provisions of this Policy as it appears on the Website at the time of access.

Purpose of PoisonHelp.org:

PoisonHelp.org is intended to provide users with information about unintentional, accidental, or incidental exposures to potential poisons or toxins.  It is not intended to advise on or encourage any intentional exposures.

By accessing the Website, User affirms that their use is non-commercial, User will not enter false information or information that contains libelous or otherwise unlawful material, and you will not use the Website to harm yourself or another.

The Association makes no claims that the Website or its contents may be accessed, copied or downloaded outside of the United States.  Access to the Website may not be permitted in certain countries. Access to the Association Website from outside the United States is done at the User’s own risk.

Termination of Use:

The Association reserves the right to change, suspend or discontinue all or any aspects of the Website at any time without prior notice.

The Association may, in its sole discretion, restrict or terminate User’s access PoisonHelp.org at any time or for any reason including, but not limited to, violation of any of these Terms and Conditions.

Medical Disclaimer:

PoisonHelp.org content is provided as a public service and for informational purposes only.  Use and reliance on any Website content is solely at User’s own risk.

The Website Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  All content displayed in response to information furnished by User is computer generated through analytic software and decision algorithms. As a result, no patient-physician relationship is established through use of the Website and the Website does not provide diagnosis, medical care, or other patient-specific treatment advice.

Access and use of the information available on the Website should not be utilized in place of necessary medical services. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider if Users have any questions regarding a medical condition. Do not delay seeking individualized attention because of information that is or is not contained on PoisonHelp.org.

If you think you or another person are experiencing a medical emergency, or if someone collapses, has a seizure, acts irrationally, has trouble breathing, or cannot be awakened, call your doctor or 911 immediately. FURTHER, If for any reason you believe that an individual’s exposure to a poison or toxin is the result of an intention to harm themselves or another, please call 911 immediately.

Liability Disclaimers:

When using PoisonHelp.org, information will be transmitted over networks and systems that are beyond the control and jurisdiction of the Association. The Association assumes no liability for or relating to any delay, failure, interruption, or corruption of any data or other information transmitted in connection with use of the Website.

The Association will use its best efforts to ensure Website accessibility but does not guarantee that the Website will be accessible at all times or free of technological difficulties. Potential difficulties include, but are not limited to, unavailability of information, load errors, downtime, or service disruptions. The Association also reserves the right to temporarily shut down access to the Website for maintenance and update as necessary to ensure proper functioning of the Website.

THE ASSOCIATION TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTIES’ RIGHTS, AND FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  Without limiting the foregoing, the Association makes no representations, warranties or promises about the ACCURACY, reliability, completeness or timeliness of the WEBSITE OR WEBSITE Content.

In no event shall the Association be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, special, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, personal injury or wrongful death) resulting from the use of or inability to use the Website, regardless of legal theory, and whether or not the Association is advised of the possibility of such damages.

Indemnification:

To the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, User expressly agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold the Association, as well as its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, agents, licensors and suppliers, harmless from or against any claims, actions, demands, losses, liabilities, or judgments, including costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of, or alleged to result from, your use of PoisonHelp.org or your violation of these Terms and Conditions.

Intellectual Property:

The marks “PoisonHelp.org” and “PoisonHelp” are trademarks and service marks of the Association. The Website Content and design of the Website are protected by copyright laws. Users may not copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, display, or transmit any of these materials without the Association’s prior written consent.

Users may view, download, display and/or print a copy of the materials on the Website solely for personal, noncommercial use, so long as User does not alter or modify the Content in any way. User must include all applicable notices and disclaimers (including copyright notices) when utilizing the Association intellectual property within the parameters of this Policy, and will not use the materials in a way that suggests or implies association with the Association. Title to the Website Content remains with the Association and does not pass to any User of the Website unless otherwise approved in writing by the Association leadership.

Questions, comments, and concerns regarding the Association’s Intellectual Property rights can be directed to the following addresses:

America’s Poison Centers
4601 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 630
Arlington, VA 22203
info@PoisonCenters.org

Jurisdiction

By accessing the Association Website, User expressly agrees that exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute with the Association, in any way relating to User’s activities on PoisonHelp.org or PoisonHelp.org Content, resides in the courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia. User further agrees and expressly consents to the exercise of personal jurisdiction in the courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia in connection with any such dispute or claim involving the Association or its affiliates, employees, contractors, officers, directors, telecommunication providers, and content providers.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without respect to its conflict of laws principles.

The Posionhelp.org Privacy Policy is fully incorporated into these Terms and Conditions. The Website Privacy Policy is subject to change.  Please review the Privacy Policy before using the Website.  Your access and/or use of the Website constitutes acceptance of the Website Privacy Policy as it appears on the Website at the time of your access.