If not, you should. Just last week two families were the victims of tragedy as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. In fact carbon monoxide poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in North America. The reason that it is so deadly is that carbon monoxide is a gas that you can’t see, smell, or taste. Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause brain damage, suffocation or death. Seniors, anyone with heart and lung problems, pregnant women, and young children are at greater risk than the general population. Carbon monoxide can be produced in just about anyone’s home by gas or oil furnaces, space and water heaters, clothes dryers, ovens, wood stoves and other household appliances that run on fossil fuels such as wood, gas, oil or coal.

The only way to protect yourself is to install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home and to make sure that your furnaces, fuel-burning appliances, vent pipes, and chimney flues are professionally inspected and cleaned annually. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms - fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, flushed looking skin, and increased blood pressure, you may not have the flu at all but low-level carbon monoxide poisoning. Call your doctor immediately.

In response to the recent carbon monoxide tragedies, Conservative MPP Ernie Hardeman is introducing a private member’s bill that would make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in every home in the province. Why wait for legislation to protect yourself and your family? Carbon monoxide detectors come in a range of prices and are readily available. Here is a large selection at Home Depot.
Read more about carbon monoxide in this informative online pamphlet.